Before We Come Undone
by xAlishaMichellex
Summary: When Wade Barrett is murdered, it's on the front page of every newspaper, on every news channel, and there are two suspects: Paige Knight and Summer Rae. When two cops have to go undercover and pose as college students, they realize that maybe it's not as simple as they thought it would be. It's not easy when you fall for the enemy and your judgment is easily clouded.
1. Hurt

**A/N: **I probably shouldn't be starting a new story since I have another in progress but this idea will not leave me alone and a good friend of mine encouraged me to (thanks, Mikki) write it. I hope you guys enjoy this. Here we go.

* * *

After a disastrous night with Wade, Paige slowly puts her clothes back on her naked body, hissing with every movement. It was getting harder to cover the bruises and she's well aware of it; but the fear of him doing something far worse to someone she cares for takes precedence over her own safety. She hates being like one of those women who stick around even though they know they need to leave.

When he rolls over to see her trying to leave as quickly as he jumped her bones, he groans out. "You don't want to snuggle?" He reaches out to grab her already swollen arm and she cries out when even the most ginger touch tickles her skin. "Why do you have to make me do this to you?" He slowly traces the bruises on her arm, acting as though she's to blame for all this. "If you just listened to me, you'd be fine and you wouldn't scared of me. I'm not the bad guy here."

It's hard to put up a fight and flat out tell him that he's the one who needs the help, but she knows what'll ensue afterwards. The more she can avoid his hits, the better off she is. At one point in their relationship, Paige really did love him. But after that first hit, that first slap across the face, she realized just how dark he really was. Now she's stuck in a loveless relationship and there's nothing she can do about it without there being repercussions.

Not to mention, his father is one of the most powerful men in Manhattan so Wade would most likely be protected and he would have leeway to strike again. It's inevitable that she's screwed until he gets bored with her, which at this time seems like he never will.

"Look, I've got exams to study for. I'd love to stay and snuggle but I have to pass otherwise I'll fail. And if I fail, I lose my scholarship. Not all of us have a father who's willing to pay their child's way into any college they want." She hates how affectionate she has to sound when all she really wants to do is give him the finger and say sayonara.

"I don't get why your father just won't give you the money so that you can have a little bit of fun. You're so tense all the time." He says in that condescending tone of his. "You have the money. What's the big deal?"

Turning to give him the evil eye, the British woman stops in her quest to lace up her heels. "Wade, aren't you tired of coasting off of your father's money? Don't you want to earn something because you actually tried?"

When he gets up from his bed, draping himself in nothing but his sheet, Paige backs away a bit, unsure of what he's going to do. She regrets this decision immediately once she realizes she's now up against the wall and there's nowhere for her to go. It's obvious that Wade likes being the one in control when it comes to their relationship because once he takes in how she's recoiled, he just laughs.

He's absolutely thrilled to see the fear in her eyes, how terrified she is. She can't help but wonder what happened to this once sweet soul that made him so mean, so heartless. Boldly, she reaches up and caresses his face, unsure of why she's even doing this; maybe it's because she knows there's a part of him deep inside that wishes he could fix things with them.

Being sweet, however, doesn't help her when he raises his hand and slaps her across her face – she can't cry out because she's so used to it so much that she can't even feel it. When she doesn't react, he gets frustrated even more than before, pulls her by her hair and throws her on his bed, ripping her clothes that she had just put back on, nearly shredding them.

"Stop!" Finally, she cries out when he starts to get aggressive in his assault. "Stop! Help!" She's screaming out, hoping someone in the hallway will hear her and come to her aid. It's futile when he turns on the radio besides the bed and blares it to where the only thing their fellow classmates can hear is the loud music emanating from his room.

"You want to talk back? I'll show you." He grunts as he unwraps himself to where he's back to being in the nude before taking his attack one step further when he forces himself inside her despite her protest. She's still fighting underneath him, trying her best to wriggle free, but it's a failed attempt seeing as he's much bigger than she is.

Eventually, it's over and she can't calm herself down when Wade rolls off of her and falls asleep beside her. Covering her eyes, she silently sobs as she tries to figure out how to get back to her dorm without anyone else seeing her. Grabbing her leather jacket, it's enough to cover her and she quietly creeps out until she finally breaks down once she's outside the door.

Sliding down the door, she just sits there pondering whether it's safe to go back to her dorm without Summer being there to ask her what happened – she knows the blonde's not stupid and is easily aware of what's going on, but she can't bring herself to say it out loud. Her question gets answered a beat later when Summer Rae and her friend Alicia Fox come trundling down the hallway, stopping in their tracks when they see the battered image of Paige.

"Oh my God," Summer says, racing over to her friend, crouching down beside her. "What did he do?"

Unable to spit the words out, Paige pinches the bridge of her nose before crying even harder, thankful that her cries are muffled by Summer when the blonde cradles her in her arms, trying her hardest to stop herself from going in there and killing the man who did this to her friend.

It takes both Alicia and Summer to get the British woman to her feet, listening as she whines in pain with each step she takes; along the way, they get glared at by curious bystanders but they simply ignore it and help escort Paige back to the comfort of her dorm room.

After a much-needed shower and a fresh change of clothes, Summer helps her friend get into bed and stays by her side the entire night – this relationship with Wade was going to be the death of Paige unless a miracle happened.

Something big needed to happen. Soon.

* * *

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose find themselves on the receiving end of an ass chewing from their supervisor, the latter slightly more amused than the former; folding his arms over his chest, the shaggy-haired man chews his gum nonchalantly like getting in trouble is the least of his troubles. It's what he's known for.

"You guys completely fucked up this case. I should've known better than letting two rookies with absolutely no experience get in on this. Rollins, you're lucky that I was friends with your father or your ass would be gone. And Ambrose, you're barely holding onto your job by a thread."

"Sir, it was an accident. We had Carey right in our grasp. With all due respect, had you guys not reigned in on this one, we would have had him." Seth speaks up after getting yelled at for the last two hours.

"You have some audacity blaming everyone else but yourself for this – you two have one last chance to prove to me that you're not lost causes. If you fuck up again, you're gone. Now get out of my office."

Staying true to his badass nature, Dean simply looks down his boss. "It's true. We were getting somewhere with Carey before Reigns stupidly called in for backup. Just because he's your favorite doesn't mean that you can treat Seth and I this way. It was his judgment call that fucked everyone over."

Slapping his forehead, Seth grabs Dean before their boss can fire him for about the tenth time – if he wasn't good at certain things, he would've been gone permanently already. Apologizing to the captain, Seth pushes Dean once they're outside the office. "You could've been fired."

"It's not like it'd be the first time. Levesque can't get away with treating us rookies like that just because he has his head so far up Reigns ass," he says as they walk past some of their co-workers who are all glaring them down. "Take a picture," Dean comments to one of Reigns' friends, knowing damn well what the remark could possibly do.

Exiting the building, the two men walk down the streets of Manhattan – Seth's grateful that he's getting one more chance to prove that he has what it takes to do this job. Being twenty-four with limited job experience wasn't exactly what other employers were looking for. Dean, however, didn't really give a shit. The only reason he's a cop is because he was forced into it when his father threatened to send him to Military school after her barely graduated high school.

"Don't you get it, Seth? Those assholes want us to fail. They know that once we have what it takes to be amazing cops, we're going to surpass all those jerks; they don't want to be upped by two rookies. Come on, you know we had Carey. Reigns saw us getting somewhere and purposely sabotaged us."

It's frustrating for the two-toned hair guy to be good friends with a guy who's cynical ninety-nine percent of the time. Although he usually has a reason to be that way, Seth can't help but wonder if him and Dean weren't partners so-to-speak if he'd have an easier time fitting in.

"Regardless, Dean, we have to suck it up and deal with it. We can't just state our opinions because they've wronged us. Our time will come when we can throw it in their face that they were wrong about them."

"Give me a break with that sanctimonious crap. You're too nice to be a cop. Where are your balls, man? Where's the Seth Rollins that I grew up with?" Dean's irritated with how much of a pushover Seth is – it's the reason as to why everyone takes advantage of him. He never defends himself.

"Hey, I'm right here. Just because I don't speak my mind like you do doesn't mean I'm too nice. Has it occurred to you that maybe you're just an asshole and an even bigger one when someone attacks you?"

"And how is that a problem? Being nice gets you nowhere in life. Sorry to say that, but you are screwed, my friend. Take it from me when I say that; I used to be nice. Then people started pissing me off and my whole entire attitude changed."

Rolling his eyes at Dean, Seth opts not to say anything, realizing that he won't win this debate – if Dean's good at one thing, it's arguing his case. And Seth doesn't want to take that away from him. Everyone needs at least one thing to feel proud about in their life.

As they enter their apartment, Dean heads straight for the fridge to pull out a couple of beers for him and Seth, while the latter sits comfortably on the couch, shutting his eyes for a few seconds to catch up on the sleep he's been missing out on because of putting all of his energy in the case. He's pissed because he knows that Reigns did in fact sabotage him and Dean but he can't figure out why.

Refusing to think about it any further, Seth jolts awake when his friend taps him on the shoulder to offer him his drink, nearly knocking it out of Dean's hand; feeling the buzzing in his pocket, he pulls it out and stares at it momentarily. "Why can't she leave me alone?"

"Let me guess – AJ? You know we have got to stop dating girls who are friends with each other. Kaitlyn keeps bugging me too, asking when we're going out again. It was one date, for God's sake. Besides, we've got bigger things to stress about than two girls wanting to be more than friends."

"If we hadn't hooked up, they probably wouldn't be as clingy – I think I'm just going to text AJ with the we're better off as friends shtick. Maybe that'll get her to stop." Tapping out the message to the exuberant woman, it's shortly after when Seth changes his demeanor. "She just told me to fuck myself. What a classy lady."

Sitting down beside his friend, Dean swigs down his beer, completely devoid of any kind of emotion whatsoever. He's the type of person who refuses to let feelings get in the way of the big picture; is this all his life has become? Work all day and then come home and drink beers only to fall asleep, then wake up and repeat it all over again? It's not his first choice.

"I swear, the next case we get, we better go big or I'm walking. We've been there almost two years and they're barely giving us cases to work on. What kind of bullshit is that?"

"Be patient, my friend. Just be patient." Seth laughs at his friend, merely shaking off the fact that he kind of feels the same way too, except he doesn't want to quit.

The only thing Seth Rollins has is the fact that he's at his dream job, doing what he loves. But why is it so much harder than what he initially thought? Something needs to change quickly to make him stay. Soon.

* * *

Paige and Summer are awaken by the sound of Wade's voice billowing outside their door, demanding to be let in; after tonight's incident, the British woman is in no mood to talk and simply shouts that she'll call him in the morning; Wade, however, doesn't take no for an answer, banging even harder than before. "Let me in before I hurt you."

"Wade, haven't you done enough damage for tonight?" Summer finally pipes up, fed up with the abusive man. Walking over to the door, she opens it and lets him come inside. "I'm only doing this to prevent a scene. Make it fast. Paige, I'll be right across the hall at Alicia's. Holler if you need me." She gives her friend those bulging eyes of hers.

Once Paige and Wade are alone, he briskly walks over to her, glowering at her. "Let me guess, you told Summer your sob story of how I hurt you. I bet you don't tell her how you start fights."

"Wade, it's late and I'm tired. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

"No, we can talk about this now." He once again grabs her by the arm. "Where'd you go? You left after we had sex."

Paige is at her wits end. She knows they'll be repercussions for her smart mouth but she's had it. "You raped me and expected me to hang around? You really are crazy." With the remark comes a slap. "Is that the best you can do, Wade? Do you feel like a man when you hit me?" And another one. Paige simply laughs.

The laughter gets under Wade's skin and he wraps both his hands around her neck and starts choking her; now Paige is scared. She can't cry out for help because her airwaves are being cut off – remembering all those self defense classes she took, she knees him in his special place and he lets go momentarily, only now he's angrier than before.

When she tries to open up the door to leave, Wade's one step behind her, pulling her back by her hair before slamming her to the ground. "You think it's funny?" Pulling out his pocketknife, he presses the cold metal up against the side of her face before slowly cutting her. She cries out loud enough that it brings pleasure to him.

Right as he's about to do it again, he falls to the ground after being smacked over the head with a bottle of wine, Alicia and Summer standing over him. The bottle in Alicia's hand is now broken, glass on the floor, completely shattered. "Oh my God! What did I do?"

Paige is too shaken up to remotely crawl over to check on her boyfriend so the blonde woman does. When she feels for his pulse, she covers her mouth. "He's dead."

"What the fuck are we going to do?"

"Get rid of the body," Paige speaks up. "We can't go to the police and say it was self defense – his father is a powerful man and he'll destroy us. Our only choice is to make it look like Wade was never here. If someone else finds him, they won't know where to begin." Wiping the blood off her face, she hugs Alicia. "Thank you for coming to my rescue."

But the African American is in shock of what she has done to reciprocate the embrace and merely nods her head. "How do we do this without anyone seeing us?"

Paige, Summer and Alicia spend several hours conjuring up a plan on how to be discreet and where to take him, going over every detail perfectly. But they have no idea what's in store for them when it comes to keeping secrets. They're about to find out.


	2. The Mission

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who favorited (don't think that's a word but it should be), alerted, and reviewed this. You guys are awesome. Also, I apologize for the long wait for this to get updated; it's been a busy week and I'm sick.

* * *

As they stand above Wade' s corpse with shovels in hand, the three girls contemplate if they really can go through with this. "Maybe we shouldn't do this," says Paige.

"This was your idea, Paige." Summer responds.

"You know how I am. I talk a lot of shit. It is not too late to go to the cops. It was self defense." She's desperate in her plea. The last thing she wants is for any of them to get into trouble.

"We can't go to the police. It doesn't matter if it was self-defense. Wade's father will make sure Alicia fries for this and make sure that you and I never see the light of day again." Summer says a little too loudly.

Alicia, who's already shaken up, looks at the two of them before wiping her eyes. "I cannot go to jail. It won't end well for me." She starts digging a hole, completely ignoring her two friends. She doesn't want to do this but she doesn't have a choice; she has everything to lose by confessing to the murder.

Summer is the next one to start digging, just wanting to get this over with. They still have a lot to do afterwards to make sure their DNA is nowhere to be found. Paige hesitantly joins them, still very much against this. Why did she have to mention getting rid of the body?

While she wants to protect Alicia, Summer and herself, she's aware of what will happen if the truth ever comes out. They'll be no way of getting themselves out of it if caught. "We make a pact right now." The British woman speaks up before they actually go through with this. "We never breathe a word of this to anyone. We're gonna get asked a lot of questions when they find the body. We need to have our story straight. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the blonde and Alicia say in unison. It's obvious that they have no idea what they're doing and the fear is definitely written all over their face. Who could blame them since they had just committed murder?

The raven-haired woman finishes digging the hole while Alicia and Summer maneuver Wade's body over to it, both careful to wear gloves so that there's no way to trace them to the scene of the crime. Not one of them has any idea what this actually entails, believing it's easier said than done. The British woman, despite protesting way too much about it, is relieved that Wade will no longer be able to beat her any more. She has always wanted to get out of the relationship but never wished such a fate on him.

Rolling his body into the hole, Paige looks down at that dead man and touches her face; the cut on her face is now consumed of dried blood and dirt. There's a part of her that's angry and wants to do more damage, but the other part of her is telling her to let it go, that it's over with. He'll never put his hands on her again. Feeling the rage however, Paige starts covering his body with the dirt they had just dug up, her friends following in tow.

Almost half an hour later, they start getting rid of the trail they made with the tire tracks and their shoes with a couple of blankets from the back of Paige's car. Beforehand they also made sure to cover the interior of her car with plastic so none of Wade's DNA was found. Grabbing a trash bag out of the trunk, they dispose of the blankets and their shoes, dropping them in a nearby lake.

They're all quiet on the drive back to the dorms, stopping off at a _Payless_ first so they can get some shoes. They didn't want anyone getting any kind of idea. Once they get back everything will be smooth sailing. At least that's what they believe. They still have a bloodstained carpet to take care of back in Paige and Summer's dorm.

"Our story is that we were hanging in Alicia's room when the murder happened. We watched _Mean Girls_ on DVD and we had a bowl of popcorn with it. We then talked about our plans for Winter break. We decided to go home. Got it?" It may not be the most believable story, but if they all stay on the same page then it's harder to prove as a lie.

The moment they walk through those doors, everything changes – they are now forcing smiles when they stumble across Summer's boyfriend who looks like he is sneaking out of another room, making the blonde woman roll her eyes. "I've got bigger fish to fry. I'll be in your room in about ten minutes. Let me go dump Dolph for the millionth time for cheating."

As hard as it is to laugh at how oblivious her friend is to the relationship she's in, Paige and Alicia snag a look at each other before traipsing down the hallway in order to get to the place they need to get to as soon as possible. Once they take in how quiet it is, they creep inside, making sure to not turn on the light until the door is shut and locked.

Upon doing so, they drink in the giant bloodstain from Wade on Paige's carpet. How are they supposed to get rid of this without raising any eyebrows? Going to the closet, Paige pulls out some cleaning supplies, hoping it's enough to get it cleaned up for the time being; the raven-haired woman has a plan but in the meantime, this has to get taken care of straight away.

Handing Alicia some gloves, the two go at it before getting a scare when there's an urgent knock at the door. The African-American woman acts without thinking and sits herself on the stain just in case it's someone other than Summer. "Who is it?" Paige calls out – there's some shakiness to her voice when she asks the question.

"It's Brie," one half of the college campus' twins calls through the other side of the door. "Are you okay, Paige? You don't sound too good."

Hesitant, the goth woman pulls open her door and greets the Bella twin with a smile—a forced one at that but still—inviting her in. "Summer's not here. She's fighting with Dolph. What's up?" She casually shoves her hands into the pocket of her jeans. It's hard for her to act so normal when she just helped cover up a crime that one of her best friends committed.

"I actually came to talk to you about you and Wade – look, I know Nicole and I haven't been the nicest to you but… as someone who's been in an abusive relationship, I just want you to know that if you want to talk about it then you can come knock on my door; Nikki saw you leaving Wade's tonight looking pretty beat up and she was worried."

As much as she appreciates the gesture considering the Bella Twins have always had it out for her, there's still the big elephant in room, the one Alicia's hiding as best as she can. "Thank you. And tell Nikki I said thank you as well. How about you and I do lunch some time and you can help me figure out my next move." She hates the idea of spending an hour with someone she absolutely despises but at this point there's no other way to get her out than to go through with it.

"Awesome. Just get my number from Summer and we'll arrange something," Brie's a bit too happy about the idea when she pulls Paige into a hug. "I'm here for you." Then she lets go, waves goodbye to both women and shuts the door on her way out.

Turning to face a hysterical Alicia, the British woman shrugs her shoulders. "What was I supposed to do? She wasn't going to leave unless we talked about it. Besides, I'm not the one who's sitting in blood." She points out to which the tall woman quickly removes herself and starts yelling obscenities because it's now on her pants. "Thanks for taking one for the team."

"Well it's either protect us or go to jail – we all have a lot to lose if this ever gets out."

"It won't. Alicia, I'm scared to death but this will ruin us – it'll be considered manslaughter since we covered it up. There's no turning back. Are you going to be able to live with this secret? You're sort of bad when it comes to stuff like this."

"What choice do I have, Paige?" She speaks in a lower voice. "I killed Wade Barrett. You and Summer still have time to get out of this. I'll understand too."

"No. We're all in this together – as much as I'm dying inside because of what happened, we did the world a favor. I hate to say that, but it's true; Wade had it coming. He dug his grave a long time ago. Had you not shown up when you had tonight, I'd probably be the one underground. It was either he or I."

Their conversation is cut short when Summer bursts in, wiping tears away. Paige doesn't understand why the blonde is so upset over her breakup when they have broken up before; Dolph always has a way of saying the right stuff to make the blonde forgive him and then it repeats continuously – the guy is as big a douche as Wade, except without the abuse part.

"I don't want to talk about it," says the usually unruly woman – it appears that this time is a lot different than all the other times. "Fine. He slept with Nikki. I thought her and I were friends." Most often the blonde woman would find Dolph with some unfamiliar woman and she'd brush it off, dump him and not even blink an eye over it. This time, however, is different.

"And I just made a lunch date with Brie." When she sees the bulging eyes of her recently single friend, Paige puts her hands up in defense. "While Alicia and I were in the midst of taking care of the carpet, she stopped by. It was the only way to get her to leave. Had I known about Nikki, I never would have agreed."

"You know what? Dolph doesn't deserve my tears – besides, we have bigger things to worry about. What do we do about the carpet after the stain is gone? Investigators are going to want to check it out and shit."

"I have an idea. Let's just get one thing taken care of at a time. I'll deal with getting a new carpet put in tomorrow."

They still have no idea just how in over their heads they are. If they think everything is just going to smooth over, they're dead wrong. Dead wrong.

* * *

Two weeks have passed by and Seth and Dean are called into their supervisor's office, leaving them in a flurry of confusion. They can't help but wonder what it is they have done this time to get them called in, but Dean can't wait to hear what has to be said. He's at the point where he wants to be fired.

Upon coming inside, they see Roman Reigns with a scowl on his face, probably because the prospect of being in the same room with two guys he can't stand is something he's not ready for; Seth is the more calm of the three, greeting his boss and Roman with a hello before taking his seat. "What's up?"

"You and Dean have been assigned to an undercover operation. Roman's going as well. Since you two are our youngest guys on the force, it makes you the perfect choice, even though I'd rather have someone more experienced on this case."

"Sir, I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," Dean folds his arm across his chest, still standing – he's not one to do things the old fashioned way. He likes to stand out rather than to blend in. "I'd say thank you but since Roman's going to be babysitting us, I won't."

"You think I like having two of the most irresponsible, inexperienced and insane guys on the force as my partners in this? Think again, Ambrose – Captain, I can swing this on my own. Let the professionals handle this one; they're going to screw it up just like they do with everything else."

Rolling his eyes at the Samoan man, Dean finally takes his seat beside Seth and gives him a goofy look. "Or you can let me and Seth in on this so we can prove that we're not screw ups. Just because we haven't been as successful as you, Reigns, doesn't mean we're not cut out for this; I think it's pretty childish how you throw us under the bus ninety percent of the time when you want to look good." Seeing the expression on Reigns' face, Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I said it."

"You little shit," Roman says, trying to contain his anger. "You can't take responsibility for all your mistakes and that's why you suck at this job."

"I suck? You're the one who's constantly kissing Levesque's ass – that's why you're in such a good position here." Now that he's let his feelings out of the bag, there's no way of taking it bag even though it may be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

"That's enough!" Levesque hollers at both men. "Dean, this is your chance to prove to everyone here that this is where you belong; believe it or not, I like you. I see potential in you and that's why I haven't fired you." Turning to his right-hand man, so to speak, he puts a hand on his shoulder. "Contain yourself. Look, they can pull this off. The first time they step out of line—which I'll know by the cameras they'll be wearing—they're off the case."

Sighing under his breath, Seth surprises everyone when he decides to speak up. "So this is a babysitting gig? Dean and I do the hard work and then Roman gets credit for it? If that's how this is going to be then I want no part of it, thank you."

"Roman's going to be working with you – he, too, is going undercover. He just won't be as hands on as you and Dean. We found the body of Wade Barrett out in the woods. We have two suspects but there's no proof that they had anything to do with it. We want you and Dean to pose as college students to get close to them to see if maybe they know something."

"A murder case? We're so in," Dean throws a victorious fist in the air. "This is the shit I'm talking about. Who are our suspects?"

Throwing two pictures of two unknown women up on his projector, Levesque goes on to answer his question. "The one on the left is Paige Knight – Barrett's girlfriend. The one on the right is Summer Rae – Paige's best friend and right-hand gal. These two are our key in to finding out who murdered this young man. His father's wanting answers as quickly as possible."

"And want us to do what exactly? Con them into falling in love with us so that they'll open up to us? That's child's play," Dean once again speaks up; there's one thing he doesn't like and that's messing with people's feelings. Plus, it just seems so high school to do something like this. "I mean I thought we were all out of high school."

"Ambrose, you can do whatever you like with Summer, but just get us the answers. That's an order."

"Wait, why do I get blondie? We're gonna wind up killing each other. She's probably one of those high maintenance chicks who won't eat more than a salad on a date. It kind of kills any interest in her."

"I need Seth on Paige – they have similar backgrounds and it'll make it a lot easier for them to click. After Christmas break is over, you two will start on this assignment. You're getting Wade Barrett's old room so maybe you'll find some clues as to what happened to him. You're dismissed."

No longer in the position to protest this insane idea, Dean and Seth rise from their seats and stare down Roman as he walks past them, simply shaking his head. There's a hint of a smirk on his face, like he knows they're going to screw it up again – the only reason they want to do this is so they can throw it in everyone's face that they're not constant screw ups like everyone pegs them.

Whatever it is that's in store for them with this assignment, they're prepared for it; but the fact that they're going to have only about four months to crack these two females and dig deep doesn't settle well with them. It's not easy to make someone fall in love with you in a matter of weeks to get to the bottom of things. Seth knows that. Dean knows that.

Deciding to go back to their apartment to talk strategy, Dean rants the entire walk home about Summer Rae and how he can already tell they're going to fight like hell considering how opposite they are. And the only thing Seth can do is merely offer a laugh, "You're already sprung on a woman you've never met. That's a new record."

"Very funny, Rollins. What about Paige? You look like you're going to have your hands full with that one."

"True. But I bet you I can get her to open up to me faster than Summer does with you." And like that, they shake on it, with whoever winning taking claim of who closed the case.

Neither one of them is aware of what's to come in the coming months – their main concern is keeping their jobs and proving themselves. Paige Knight and Summer Rae are the least of their worries even though they should be their priority. It's safe to say they're getting in over their heads and there's no way they're getting out of this without a few scars.


	3. Introductions

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the continuous support – I have huge plans for this story. And also I would like to apologize for the long wait. There's a better explanation on my page but in case no one saw it, there's been some health issues I've been dealing with and some other personal issues. Everything is getting back to normal now so I'm hoping for faster updates.

* * *

Once winter vacation is over with, Seth and Dean prepare themselves for their assignment, the latter extremely adamant on not letting himself get any type of feelings for the woman he's been assigned to. All he wants to do is get in and get out at soon as possible, especially since Roman is in charge of this entire thing. The less he has to work with him the better off everyone is.

Seth, on the other hand, is quite excited about this - it's his chance to prove to himself ultimately that he can do this. While there is no doubt on his end on what he's capable of, there's still the haters who deem him as a failure and he would love nothing more than to throw it in their faces.

The mere thought of this Paige Knight chick has him already in a frenzy. He's done his research on her and if he isn't sure that he maybe has a twin somewhere out there, Paige is the female version of him – and he isn't sure how to feel about that. He's never even met the woman before and there's already something about her that he can't get off his mind.

The only thing they don't like about this assignment is that they can't stay at their apartment – they have to live in the dorms like normal college kids. This doesn't bode well for Dean; simply because he knows he's not exactly a people person and the first time someone pisses him off, he'll lose his shit.

When they enter the building to which their room is located, the unfriendly one rolls his eyes before turning to look at his buddy. "There's still time to turn around and tell our boss and Roman to fuck off." Speaking of the Samoan, he hasn't gotten in contact with them yet which is somewhat suspicious. "Speaking of Bigfoot, why hasn't he made an effort to call one of us? I thought we had to check in with him."

"It's just a formality. I'm sure once we're settled, he'll swing by to talk to us. From what I gather, he's posing as a teacher's aide. That should be interesting. We both know that he's not exactly one to take orders from someone." Seth answers with a bit of a smirk on his face – it's suffice to say that Roman Reigns is one of his least favorite people.

"That asshole better not fuck us over again. I talk a lot of shit, but I can't afford to get fired – my father, who by the way called me last night to congratulate us on this big break and pleaded that we don't screw it up, is just waiting in the wings to say that he told me so on the fact that I'm a nobody."

If there's one thing that Dean Ambrose can't stand it's his father's lack of belief in him. They've never had the best relationship, what with Dean rebelling early in his teen years and disobeying him at every which way; but he always waits for the day where they can make amends and make his dad proud of him. It will probably never come, but he still wishes for it.

On their way inside they get greeted with curious looks from the people passing by them, probably curious as to whom the new guys are. Dean's his usual self, not even caring about all the judgment being passed his way – he's too busy conjuring up a game plan in his head on how to get this Summer woman to talk to him. He knows that's he way out of her league so it'll have to be something good in order to get her attention.

Seth, however, is passive as he offers every single person either a nod of his head or a casual smile. His smile grows big when a pair of twins stops in his path, eyeing him up and down. "Damn! Is it me, Brie, or are these two just flat out hot?" She waves a hand in front of her face to try to cool herself off.

"They are, Nikki," her twin answers in a very monotonous tone. Then she turns sweetly to the guy who's not even giving them the time of day. "You're awfully quiet and I don't want to give off a bad impression, but Nikki and I are kind of a big deal around here. You could at least acknowledge us."

Inwardly rolling his eyes – though he really wants to do so much more to let these two girls know that he's not interested – Dean looks at the two girls and is quite frankly unimpressed. "Hi," he gives them a meek wave before returning to thoughts.

"Whatever," Nikki shrugs it off before putting her attention on Seth. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Seth Rollins. Just transferred here from UCLA, him too, to finish up my major." He extends his hand to the beautiful woman and she willingly accepted the gesture.

"Nikki, we got to go," Brie says all of a sudden, trying to get her sister's attention. Whispering something in her ear makes the Bella twin let go of the man's hand, a funny look on her face. "It was nice meeting you," Brie finally says and they clear off just as fast as they came. That was odd.

Seth and Dean stare at each other before simply brushing it off – the latter doesn't really care one way or another. He's just glad that they're gone. When he turns around to see why the two girls ran off in such a hurry, he smiles when he catches a blonde woman standing against the doorway with her arms folded across her chest.

Summer Rae in the flesh is not what he expected; the fact that she intimidates others just intrigues him even more. When she catches onto the fact that someone's staring at her, she stares back, only harder – it's obvious that she's dangerous and elusive, clearly unfazed by what people think of her. And Dean is unable to tear his eyes away from the gorgeous woman even though he knows he should.

When she folds her arms across her chest, Dean mimics her and continues to glare at her – there's something in her eyes that lets him know that she's not into playing this little game of theirs and that makes him all the more curious about her. Relenting, the shaggy-hair man finally turns away from her and puts his attention back on Seth and whatever the hell he is saying – he tuned him out while he made eyes with Summer Rae.

But as they continue on in their walk to their dorm room, Dean cannot get the blonde woman out of his head. She's going to be an even bigger challenge than he thought.

* * *

Paige finds sanctuary in the most natural place to her – the library. While it lacks in a variety of books, it makes up with how spacious it is. That's why she goes there – to get away from the noise of the dormitory, to escape the suspicious looks from people wondering whether or not she was involved with Wade's murder, to clear her head. And while it isn't much, it's still her spot.

Upstairs, hidden away in the very last aisle, tucked into the corner—she knows that no one comes to this area of the library—Paige takes a deep breath before delving into one of her assignments for her writing class. Her thoughts, however, won't let her get very far when images of Wade's body keep coming back to her.

What happened to him was self-defense, but now she's wondering if maybe she overreacted by initiating the hide-the-body scenario to her friends. She knows there's no turning back now especially since he's been discovered, but the regret she feels constantly gnaws at her day in and day out. Summer, Alicia and her have kept their distance from one another and that was the scariest part about this whole thing. They did this to protect one another and now they're apart.

Pinching the bridge of her nose out of pure frustration, the British woman is taken aback when she notices some guy she's never seen before turn the corner and is now in the aisle where she's supposed to be spending time alone. She's not sure if she's intrigued or annoyed – both of which are battling over what emotion she should be feeling.

It's easy to see the definition of his arms by the way they flex every time he reaches up on the top shelf for a book – she isn't aware of how she's biting her bottom lip just from the sight of him. When he accidentally drops a book, Paige is alert now and is trying her hardest to put her attention back on her studies. It's so hard when this beautiful man now has her in his line of view.

But of course that was always the plan. And now that he has her right where he needs her to be, he plans to capitalize on the fact that she's smitten with him. Instead of facing her—he wants to make her wait it out as long as possible—he bends down to pick up the book he's just dropped.

Unable to focus on anything other than this gorgeous man, Paige gets up from her seat, walks over and then towers over him, with her arms folded across her ample chest. "So either you're just super klutzy or you're purposely trying to get my attention and I don't know how I feel about either of those options."

"Don't flatter yourself. This damn thing got away from me that's all." Grabbing the book, he gets to his feet and stares down Paige. "Now if you'll excuse me," he brushes past her to sit at the table not too far from where she's claimed as her own slice of paradise.

Flummoxed a bit, the British woman goes back to her spot to try to get back to her studies but all she can concentrate on is the man a mere five feet away from her. There's something about him that has her slightly curious. For one thing, she's never seen him around – she knows it's a big campus so it's possible that that's why, but she's positive she should've bumped into him at least once, leaving her to believe that he's new. And that doesn't make sense to her.

Gaining a smidge of confidence, the British woman once again rises to her feet and walks over to the man, taking a seat opposite him. "May I ask why I've never seen you around campus?" She's got him hook, line and sinker when she asks the question.

Trying to give off that nonchalant demeanor and channel Dean a bit, Seth keeps reading the book he's really not engrossed in and says, "You can but I'm not sure how that's any of your business."

"Well considering you interrupted my sanctuary, I have a right to know."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was a reservation for this part of a _public _library." He rolls his eyes in annoyance. He knows that getting Paige where he needs her to be is going to be far more complicated than originally planned. But it's part of his plan to be rude. He figures she's the kind of girl who doesn't want sweet and charming.

"You're funny," she sarcastically says before sitting opposite him, resting her chin on her hand. She has to admit that she's curious about this man. And the fact that he's not coming onto her like most the guys on this God forsaken campus does is a bonus for her. It's nice not to be an object of lust for once. "Can I at least get your name, rude boy, or are you going to leave me guessing?"

She smiles at him and that's all it takes for Seth to be wrapped around that finger of hers. What was it about Paige that had him already wanting to break the rules for her? Sighing in defeat, he too proffers a crooked smile and answers her question. "My name is Seth Rollins. And you are?"

"Paige Knight, but I'm sure you already know that since I've been on everyone's radar." Her tone goes somber and there's something about it that gets to the Iowa native.

"Your boyfriend was Wade Barrett? I'm sorry about what happened and I'm even more sorry that you're the main suspect. I can see why you come up here to be by yourself. It can't be easy being on the receiving end of judgmental stares."

"Everyone just wants answers. I guess it's easy to blame me – everyone on campus knew about all the problems we had. Things are public knowledge around here." Realizing that his eyes are still fixated on her, Paige starts feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Are you staring at me because you're curious if I did it or are you staring at me because you're feeling sympathetic?"

"Which one will keep me from getting my ass kicked?" He teases and when he gets a stifled laugh from the British woman, the biggest smile comes to him. "Look, I don't know you but just from everything I've heard about him, whoever did it did everyone a favor. I'm not condoning it obviously, but clearly he had it coming since it was deemed as vicious."

Swallowing hard, the raven-haired woman doesn't know how to reply to it without coming off as guilty. She likes that this Seth guy isn't automatically deeming her as if she did it. And she likes that he's not siding with Wade in all this. But most importantly, she likes the way she feels when talking to him about such a subject.

"I still loved him despite his asshole tendencies. And maybe he didn't deserve it from me, but he got it and I hope he knows that, wherever he is." It's an odd emotion coming to her, but nothing about the last couple of weeks have been normal. "I just wonder sometimes."

"You wonder what?" Seth can't help but be intrigued by the way she's opening up to him. And he doesn't want her to stop either. The sooner him and Dean can crack this case, the faster they can get out completely unscathed.

"I wonder if things would have been different had he not been killed. It's weird but there's a part of me that truly believed that after some time he might have changed. But I assume that's the stupid hopeless romantic part of me, wishing for impossible things." When she sees the fascination in his eyes, she shakes her head and tries her best to brush off the subject. "What about you, Seth Rollins? Any tragic tales?"

"Well my dad was a respected officer—was, being the keyword—until he murdered my mom for having an affair with his partner, who he also murdered. I haven't seen him since his arrest. I was twelve."

Paige swallows and cocks her head to the side and she takes in his now quiet demeanor. Never in a million years did she think she would ever find someone as damaged as her, but now that she's found that, she's not sure what to do with it. It makes her heart hurt even more. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what that was like."

"Growing up was even worse. I was the teenager with the murderer for a father. It got so bad I had to be home schooled. Kids are cruel, no matter how old they are. They would leave messages on _Myspace_—that was the cool thing back then—asking how much longer until I killed someone. It just…" He stops long enough to collect his bearings, fighting back his emotions. "I can't believe I told you that. No one knows about that except for my best friend. He grew up with me and stood by my side."

She's not sure why she's about to do this, but Paige reaches across the table to put her hand on his. "Maybe it's easier confiding in a stranger." Then she takes and tucks some of her loose hair behind her ears, hoping to lighten up the mood a bit. Even this is too bleak for her.

They sit there in awkward silence for a couple of minutes, trying to dissect everything. Paige has never felt this comfortable around someone she barely knew and that's what scares her. With everything that happened with Wade, she knows she could easily fall into the arms of someone who could actually fill that void and she wouldn't object it.

Seth is quite confused. While he's there strictly for job related purposes, there's something about Paige that he can't just keep in a box in the back of his mind. There's more to the story and if she did in fact have something to do with Wade's murder, something tells him it wasn't out of spite or anger.

For someone he knows nothing about, he's learning how appearances are deceiving. Either Paige is really torn up over the death of her boyfriend or she's just faking it really well. Seth is going with the former. Maybe it's the instant connection he feels towards her but he honestly believes that this innocent girl had nothing to do with Wade's murder.

Or maybe he has no idea just how good of an actress Paige is when it comes to saving her and her friends. If there's someone who can throw Seth Rollins off her trail, Paige Knight is the one to do so. It's time for the games to begin.


	4. Second Chances

**A/N: **Okay, so I'm trying to bang out updates a lot faster but apparently fate has decided for me to get writer's block. I hope you guys enjoy this one.

* * *

The transition is surprisingly an easy one for Seth Rollins as he finishes decorating his side of the room with a little smile on his face. It's a nice change of scenery for him as opposed to the apartment that him and Dean share. Dean, however, wears a scowl on his face when he sees just how little space he's about to get for the next few months.

Lying back on his bed, with his arms propped up underneath his head, he blows a frustrated sigh out of his mouth. "Why are we relegated to living here? There are many college students who live off campus. Why can't we be two of those students?"

It's obvious that this isn't where he wants to be. Granted, he's more than thrilled that there's a ton of women on this God forsaken campus that he can hook up with, he's peeved that he can't get any time for himself. How is he supposed to seduce some poor college chick if Seth's there doing God knows what?

"Because we have to stay on campus to get some clues on what happened to Wade. We can't do that from our apartment."

"He was murdered. I don't get why Levesque is so serious about this. And I don't get why he can't bring in Paige and Summer for some questioning and decide right then and there if they're guilty. I feel like he sent us on this bogus assignment because it's suited for us. That whole entire place thinks we're jokes so they give us this babysitting gig."

"This is a big deal for us. If we crack this case, we're on to bigger and better things. Stop being so negative." Seth takes his focus off of hanging some poster of his favorite band long enough to glare down his friend.

"You are so annoying when you're an optimist. You should invest in being a realist like myself." Dean smirks at his comment. While most people call him a cynic, he sees it as calling it as he sees it. Being a realist doesn't make him a negative person one bit. Or least that's how he sees it.

A knock at the door has both guys coming out of their own personal reveries, both questioning who the hell could be paying them a visit? Had it been Roman, he would have just barged in. Deciding to stop feeling sorry for himself, Dean quickly rises to his feet and walks the little path there is to the door to open it. He's taken by surprise when the Bella Twins stand there with sexy smirks plastered on their faces.

Stifling an eye roll, he widens the door to allow them entry, cursing himself on the inside. These two are definitely trouble and Dean knows that. He's in no mood to be flirted with, especially by two girls who have probably made their way through half the guys on campus.

"So Brie and I wanted to come by and officially welcome you two by inviting you to a party we're throwing tonight," Nikki starts, placing her hands with her perfectly manicured fingers on her hips, tilting her head a bit to the side.

"Everyone who is anyone will be there," Brie's monotone voice echoes around the room. "We don't want you boys getting off on the wrong foot now." She seductively trails a finger down Dean's chest, not taking into account the annoyed expression on his face.

"Thanks, ladies," Seth intervenes, trying to keep Dean from blowing a gasket. "We'll see if we can squeeze in an appearance. We're busy unpacking and settling in. You understand, don't you?"

"Sure, we do. Or you guys can just skip the party and come by our dorm room a little later." Brie once again starts her attack on Dean, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think you and I can be really hot once we get to be alone."

A devious smirk comes to Dean as he lowers his head and brushes his lips against Brie's. "If you want hot," he starts out, teasing her a bit. When she moans by his touch, Dean finishes, "Go lock yourself in a tanning bed." Then he gently moves her back to where she's no longer touching him.

A whimper escapes her lips before she folds her arms across her ample chest and brushes off the rejection like it never happened. "We hope to see the two of you there. Don't make us come back here and hunt you down."

"We definitely wouldn't want that," the sarcasm oozes through Dean like it's completely effortless. Apparently it doesn't register with either one of the twins when they go to give each of the guys a kiss goodbye on the cheek, handing them the address to where their bash will be.

Once they're gone, Seth turns his attention to the guy shaking his head at the door. "Would it kill you to be a little nice? They just wanted to invite us to a party. What's the big deal?"

"No, they wanted to come by and invite us over for a little round of suck and blow. What is wrong with you, man? You are losing sight of the reason to why we're here in the first place. We're not supposed to be fraternizing with the Bellas. Paige and Summer are the targets, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Seth smiles at the memory of the raven-haired woman. The way she opened up to him. The way she got angry with him for invading her personal space. The way she bit at her nails during their conversation. There isn't a thing about Paige Knight that he can forget about. It's weird how similar she is to him. It's even weirder how he confided in her about his parents. No one but Dean knows that story.

Why did he feel the need to divulge that kind of information to someone he didn't know? Seth has no idea but he's not about to shut off this connection simply because of his line of work. He knows that eventually he'll have to explain why he's being so nosy, but he figures he can cross that bridge when he gets there.

"Oh, someone has a little crush, huh?" Dean teases. "I haven't seen you this love-struck since what's-her-name." He raises a suspicious eyebrow at the two-tone haired guy. "Listen, man, these girls are hot but we cannot—I repeat cannot—get blindsided by them. You've been saying how much we have to prove ourselves. If we fuck this up then what are we proving?"

"I thought you didn't care about this job?" Seth's sentence comes out more like a question. He can't help it though – this whole assignment had made Dean even grumpier than before. Now he suddenly cares. Seth simply laughs at that. Dean's never had a care in world and all of a sudden his demeanor changes.

Instead of replying, Dean casually slides on his leather jacket, grabs his keys and opts to go for a walk. He needs to explore this place and clear his mind. He can't do that being held in captivity – being cramped up in a tiny room with all of his things isn't exactly his cup of tea. When he's out on the grounds, he sees an empty bench and decides to sit and take everything in.

It's hard to see the good things in life when it seems like the universe is out to get him; he's at a job where no one appreciates him. His family thinks he's a joke. And he's never been in a committed relationship. And while the latter isn't exactly something he's ready to jump into, he likes to know there's the possibility of finding someone down the road.

Resting his face in his hands, Dean lets out a frustrated sigh – he's only been here for a couple of days but he can tell that before this little assignment is over, his mind is going to be gone. Between all the classes he's being forced to take and Brie and Nikki trying to slobber all over him, Dean's uncertain if he's going to be able to last.

Hearing heels clicking on the sidewalk in front of him, he lets out a grunt. "Okay, Brie, now I have to get tough with you. I don't like—" He glances up to find the curious face of Summer Rae and suddenly all is forgotten. "You're not Brie."

"That's an astute observation." She crosses her arms. She's seen him before when Brie and Nikki were coming on to him and his friend. And she liked what she saw, him rejecting them. Now here he is again, right in front of her, spewing off some random thing about not liking Brie. It makes her all the more curious.

Unsure of what to say to the blonde before him, Dean motions for her to take a seat beside him. "Do they always come on so strong like that? I mean, they just swung by mine and my roommate's room to invite us to some party tonight and Brie was all over me."

"You got off easy. It's Nikki you need to look out for. Backstabbing tramp." The last part is mumbled under hushed tones, but Dean hears it and laughs a bit. "Don't ask," she holds up a hand. "I'm Summer Rae, by the way."

"Dean Ambrose. I'm a bit of a loose cannon and my mouth has no filter. I pretty much say what's on my mind."

"So why can't you tell the Bella Twins to back the hell off if you're so honest?"

"My roommate thinks I'm too mean. He says I'm a cynic," he sighs.

"Oh, so you're one of those people," the blonde woman diverts her attention to her feet. She doesn't like this feeling overcoming her and she definitely doesn't like the questioning glare coming from the person on her left. There's something about Dean that she likes but she's not sure what it is. Maybe it's the fact that he too can't stand the twins.

He's not remotely put off by her choice of words, seeing as he's in no position to judge – with a smirk on his face, Dean shakes his head at her. "You're the first person I've met that doesn't get on my nerves. That, Summer Rae, is a damn miracle."

They both stay seated, laughing with each other about nothing in particular – they like the company that each other brings. It's the first time in a long time that Dean is having a good time. And it's the first time that Summer feels confident in her people skills as she talks to him. It's a feeling to revel in, they both are aware of this.

To a random bystander, Dean and Summer would look like the perfect couple, looking at each other like it's the first time. That's how comfortable they are. This is something that Dean could get used to, feeling like he's a human being instead of some kind of plague. Summer makes him feel good. And it's welcoming for a change.

* * *

Paige saunters down the hallway, finding herself outside of Wade's old dorm room – it's a habit that she knows she has to break; she can't help but miss him despite the fact that he was a terrible person. Regardless, she had loved him once upon a time and even though he couldn't change, those feelings never went away.

She wonders who has gotten his room – she wonders if they're a good person; she wonders if it's someone she'll cross paths with. The images of Wade's dead corpse comes back to haunt her so she leans up against the wall, trying to will herself to get her shit together. She's done a good job so far of not putting any more attention on herself by acting unnatural.

She regrets making the suggestion of hiding Wade's body – while she did it only to protect Alicia and Summer, she can't help but question if it was the right decision. There is no way she can go back and change what's in the past.

A tear falls from her eye; it sucks not being able to talk to anyone about how she's feeling. Even though she has Summer and Alicia, they have the tendency to brush it off. Their friendship doesn't feel as close as it once was since they're all keeping a distance from one another.

Summer's been off, planning her revenge on Nikki Bella for sleeping with Dolph; and Alicia's been hibernating in her room, hardly making any contact with the outside world. All Paige has is herself and that gets lonely from time to time.

When she hears the door open that she's standing beside, she's shocked to see Seth Rollins exiting. He gives her a curious glance. "Are you lost, Paige?"

"You got Wade's old room? Well my curiosity is officially killed." She slides down the wall and brings her knees up to her chest. "When is this feeling going to go away?"

Sitting himself down right beside her, the Iowa native is unsure of what to do now. Does he drape an arm over her and tell her everything is going to be okay? Does he give her a pat on the back and listen as she cries to him? Instead of doing anything remotely comforting, he simply lets out a sigh. "The minute you get closure. Answer me this, would you? Are you hurting because he's gone or are you hurting because you two couldn't fix what was broken?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Paige looks blankly at the wall ahead of her. "I don't know. Why didn't he love me enough to change? I mean, he hit me and beat me and raped me and I stayed because I loved him and I thought I owed it to him."

"Whoa!" Seth puts a hand up. "You're telling me that he did all those awful things to you and you didn't kick him to the curb? Be glad we weren't friends while he was alive because I definitely would have killed him myself."

He might barely know Paige, but there's a protective vibe going on when it comes to her that he can't quite put his finger on. Hearing all the abuse she took makes him even more in awe of her. It makes him wonder if maybe Wade's murder was self-defense. Granted, hiding the body is already going to get her into a lot trouble, but maybe there's a way to help get her and Summer off.

"So we're friends now?" Paige nudges him in a playful manner. "Thank you, Seth. It feels nice being able to rant to someone about this without feeling like I'm being judged. I have my two best friends but… we've kind of gone our own way. I guess they can't deal with me."

_Because we were all part of Wade's murder and we don't know how to cope with it, _Paige thinks. There's no way to explain it without saying something incriminating so without thinking about it even more, the raven-haired beauty turns to Seth, whose face is now inches from hers, and leans in to press her lips against his.

Taken by surprise, Seth starts to pull away when Paige moves her hand up behind his head and starts running her fingers through his long hair. This is not what he had in mind when he agreed to go undercover. He realizes that this is his first mistake. Yes, he has to get close to Paige, but he cannot get involved with her in any way, shape or form.

Only now he can't seem to pull away from her when she goes in for the kill and slides her tongue into his mouth – what the hell is she doing to him? He just barely met her and now they're making out? Getting the feeling back into his hands from where they've roamed all over her body, Seth slowly pulls away. "Whoa. Easy there, girl. I'm still just a man, please refrain from sucking my lips off."

"I'm sorry, Seth. I have no idea where that came from. It's just… I haven't felt this type of connection with someone in a while. I got caught in the moment. I'm embarrassed." Biting on her bottom lip, Paige rises to her feet and then motions to help Seth to his.

When their hands touch, Paige is quick to pull away and tuck some of her hair behind her ears. Things are now awkward and she isn't sure what to do next. "You were on your way out before. Where were you off to?"

"To a party I got invited to."

She rolls her eyes. "You mean the party that Nikki and Brie Bella are throwing?"

"I take it you got invited?"

"I did get invited and so did my best friend. But since Nikki and her aren't on speaking terms, I'm forced to take sides. Nikki slept with her boyfriend."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I found you instead. How about we go and get something to eat? We can get to know one another since we're friends and most recently make-out buddies. I figure I should know about the girl who just attacked me with her lips."

Agreeing, Paige lets him lead the way, unable to take her eyes away from his ass – she knows it looks good in those fitting jeans of his. She's unable to get their kiss out of her head; it's officially on rewind in her head. Maybe getting over Wade is a lot easier than she thinks. Or maybe she's just getting in over her head.

She has no idea what's in store for her when it comes to Seth's motives. And Seth has no idea what's in store for him when it comes to Paige's secret. Grabbing on to his hand, Paige gives off the first genuine smile since her involvement in Wade's murder. _Maybe_ this is her second chance. _Maybe_ this is the universe's way of forgiving her. Or _maybe_ she's just fooling herself.


	5. Trouble

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the sudden absence. I needed to get my head straight and ultimately fix myself. I was dealing with some personal issues, but I am back and I am going to finish this! Thank you to those who have stuck with this.

* * *

The nightmare hits her straight out of nowhere – Wade's standing before her, blood oozing from his head, asking her how she could do this to him. It replays itself in her mind, like it's on rewind. The only thing she can say is that she's sorry for what happened. When Wade reaches out for her, Paige jerks awake, feeling a pile of sweat covering her from head to toe.

Summer's there in an instant, cradling Paige in her arms – it's the first time in weeks that they've been remotely close. While the blonde tries her hardest to soothe her British friend, she can't help but feel like there's something different between the two of them. "Sshhh! It was just a dream, Paige. It's okay." Still, she's in no position to not be there for her best friend.

This was the third night in a row that she's gotten these dreams – she's not sure if it's her conscience getting the better of her or if it's just because she was traumatized; she can't understand why Wade's still getting to her when he's dead. "When is it going to stop?"

"Paige, you have to let it go. I know it's hard, but he can't hurt you anymore." Summer's trying her best to be as supportive as she possibly can be, but she doesn't know what to say in a situation like this. "I thought we all made this pact to keep quiet."

"Summer!" Paige pulls away from the blonde woman. "We killed a man. How can you act so callous about it?"

"He was going to kill you, Paige. I'd kill him again if it meant saving you. Just because I'm being so cold about it doesn't mean that I'm not feeling the way you are. But we can't change what happened. I know that you're scared, Paige, but you still have Alicia and me."

"You guys have been avoiding me and each other since that night – I felt like I had no one. I even kissed some random guy I just met the other day. Summer, I don't want to feel this way anymore. I just want it to go away."

"I know, honey; I do too. I can still hear the cracking noise from when Alicia hit him. I can't speak for Alicia, but I have remorse for what we got involved in. But like I said, it was either him or you. We made a choice."

"Why couldn't he change, Summer? He was someone I would have given everything up for which is why I stayed for so long." Letting out a sigh, Paige lies back down and stares up at the ceiling. She can't help but feel cheated out of having a future with a guy she truly believed she loved.

There's so much going through her mind at the current moment: Wade, her friendship with Summer and Alicia, and most recently Seth Rollins and that kiss. When she went to kiss him, she hadn't meant to get this spark of electricity. It was only supposed to be a way to get him to shut up before he started asking questions.

When they hung out, Seth would occasionally tease her about it and he even made the bold move of giving her his number in case she wanted to see him again. Of course, she has no intention of that; their time together was a one-off thing – what were the odds of her running into him again on this big campus anyway?

Her blonde friend has no answer to her question and Paige lets out a defeated groan. How is she supposed to get any closure when no one has the answer she's looking for? Having to harbor this big secret weighs on her and she's scared at any minute she'll confess, getting her and her friends in a world of hurt. She's forced to keep it, regardless of how she feels about it.

Turning on her side, she brushes off Summer and shuts her eyes in an attempt to end their conversation – she knows that neither one of them wants to talk about this. Sadly, Paige isn't sure what to say without bringing up the Wade incident. And it feels like there's nothing for them to really talk about.

After a few seconds, the darkness consumes Paige and she finally falls into a deep slumber, this time with no dream of Wade.

* * *

Roman Reigns feels awkward as he walks about the campus in his security guard uniform. He'd much rather be undercover as a college student like Seth and Dean but since he didn't fit the part that Levesque was looking for, he got relegated to this ridiculous gig. Now he's looking about to see if there's anything suspicious, maybe to see if he can pick up anything about Wade's murder.

Stalking his way through the campus his thoughts take over him. _I could've worked this case on my own. Why does Levesque keep giving those two idiots chance after chance? _He knows it's ridiculous to sound as bitter as he is considering he's this close to being promoted, but he doesn't like people honing in on his turf, especially two rookies.

Trying to remain positive so his temper doesn't get him booted off the most important case of his life, the Samoan man keeps striding at an impressive pace. He's got bigger fish to fry as opposed to sitting around and being pissed off at his boss. When a leggy woman crosses his path, Roman can't help but be enamored by the way she walks with such confidence, so much conviction.

He knows that he shouldn't talk to her, seeing as it's not part of his job description, but he can't ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach. He's not the kind to believe in love at first sight, but he knows better than letting a perfectly good thing go to waste.

Straightening himself out a bit, he boldly approaches the woman, suddenly regretting this choice. "I'm sorry. Can you help me find Clarkson Hall? I'm supposed to be doing rounds and I'm completely lost." It may not be the best excuse to get the girl to talk to him, but he knows it's working when she gives him the biggest smile he's ever seen.

"So you're the new security guard. I can see why you fit the part – muscular and mysterious. No one will mess with you for sure." Her eyes divert to her feet, her perfectly manicured toes sticking out from her sandals. "Clarkson Hall is actually where I'm staying so I can just walk you there."

"I'm Roman, by the way. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He extends his giant hand out to her.

"Thank you, Roman. I'm Alicia. My friends call me Foxy though." She giggles afterwards, as if telling him that will make her seem less attractive. Call her crazy, but there's definitely an inkling in the pit of her stomach that's making her drawn to him like a moth to a flame. "Don't give me crazy eyes," she playfully smacks his chest as they walk in perfect rhythm with one another.

Laughing at her feeble attempt to wound him, the Samoan man keeps to himself. He knows he's losing sight to what's actually important and he wants to smack himself in the face for getting so distracted, but at the end of the day, he knows this case is going to get screwed up someway. He'll never understand why Dean and Seth got picked for this major assignment. He just can't wait to see them out on their ass when it backfires.

They don't take anything serious – Seth has more potential than Dean, Roman knows this. But until that tie gets severed, Dean is taking Seth down on his sinking ship. How Dean actually made it through the Academy is amazing to him considering he doesn't have good work ethic. It's all because of his father having pull.

Dean's father was a well-respected man of the law, so it was assumed that Dean would turn out the same way. But on his first day at the station he made the mistake of putting his foot in his mouth and pissed off all the wrong people by his nonchalant attitude and the lack of drive he showed then. Seth's father, too, was a man of the law until he got caught up with his alcohol problem and wound up going down a shame spiral. Seth's mother cheated and when Mr. Rollins caught her, he didn't hesitate. He killed the man she was having an affair with—Roman's dad—and Seth's mother.

There's a part of Roman that knows that what happened to his father is not Seth's fault, but the fact that it's linked to him makes it even harder to just forget about. The memory of his dad comes to him and he flinches a bit. When Alicia reaches over to touch his shoulder to make sure he's okay, Roman comes out of his reverie and tries his best to smile at her.

"You okay there?" She's trying not to pry considering she barely knows him but her curiosity is getting the best of her. "You look like you went to another planet."

"Oh, I'm fine. Just my brain wandering." He brushes it off by shrugging afterwards; the last thing he wants is for her to meddle in on his private life and his personal issues. "How far away is Clarkson Hall? It seems like we've been walking for a while."

"Well considering it's on the other side of campus, it is a long walk," Alicia tries her best to cheer the man beside her up but she can tell that it's futile. "I know you don't know me but… it looks like there's stuff on your mind. I'm known to be a good listener. So if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

A smile comes to him. "Thanks. Maybe I'll take you up on that offer. I don't really have a lot of friends to confide in, mainly because people think I'm scary." He chuckles afterwards – it's true that he's not a people person and that he would much rather be by himself, but there are still times when he wishes he has at least one person in his life he can trust.

He's disappointed when they come to a halt and Alicia lets him know that this is his stop. "Well thanks for the walk, Roman. I look forward to seeing you around." Giving him a kiss on the cheek, Alicia waves goodbye and walks away, swinging her hips in an obvious fashion.

Roman chuckles as he watches her walk away – he can definitely get used to beautiful women throwing themselves at him. Maybe this assignment won't be so bad after all.

* * *

Seth can't stop thinking about Paige and their kiss; he's tried texting her a couple of times to see if she wants to hang out, but it's always the same thing. She just ignores him. He doesn't want to come off as one of those people who freaks out when they don't hear back from someone. He can't help it though.

He's trying not to get blindsided by his infatuation and keep his mind on the assignment at hand - it proves to be an impossible task though when he starts thinking of her again. He can't help but wonder if their kiss was just a one-off thing.

Still in his own frame of mind, he's completely unaware of Dean yelling at him to try to get his attention. He can't be bothered to shut off his thoughts and quite frankly he doesn't care what it is his friend is saying; he's too wrapped up in Paige to be concerned about anything else.

"Seth, I'm trying to have an adult conversation with you and you're just tuning me out. Can you stop thinking about Paige for five seconds to help me out with this Summer situation?" Dean is finally able to get Seth's attention. He's not sure how long he'll keep it so he knows he has to get to the point. "We sat there the other night and just talked... but we haven't made any further contact. I've seen her around campus but she purposely ignores me even though she looks right at me."

"Well, you could try to track her down by figuring out her schedule before classes start. So you can purposely be where she is so she can't necessarily ignore you. Keep in mind, she's secretive which might explain why she's suddenly so keen on the idea of pushing you away."

"See, when you're not too wrapped up in your own thoughts, you're quite helpful. I guess I better start doing some research." Grabbing his jacket from his bed, Dean swings it over his shoulders then shrugs his shoulders when Seth glares at him. "Want to join me? It'll definitely help keep your mind off Paige."

"Why not? It beats sitting around thinking of someone who clearly isn't thinking of me." Seth decides – he hates who he's becoming. He's been here for only a couple of days and he's already losing himself to a woman who he knows he can't ever be involved with. What is wrong with him?

On their way out, they watch as the Bella Twins eye them up and down before walking past them. _Thank God for small favors,_ Dean can't help but think. The only woman he wants to be seen chatting it up with is the leggy blonde he can't get out of his head.

As they carry on through the corridor, they spy a certain Samoan—one they haven't talked to since arriving on campus—walking into his room, looking somewhat content. This was a first. In the time they have known Roman, they've never seen him remotely happy.

Seth comes to the conclusion that it has to be a girl. Stopping dead in his tracks, the Iowa native offers a nod of his head to his superior and is surprised to see the gesture returned. Maybe this investigation was going to work everything out. Perhaps, Roman could eventually forgive Seth and see past everything that their parents went through.

It's hopeful thinking, but Seth is optimistic like that – all he's ever wanted is to get Roman's respect. He knows having the last name of a man who killed a co-worker's father is what is hindering them from being civil to one another.

"Here comes your girl," Dean elbows Seth to get his attention. But he's focused on the woman walking down the hallway with her, the blonde he hasn't been able to stop thinking about. "Summer, hey," he says awkwardly, which garners an inward snicker from Seth.

"Dean," she says in a sweet tone. "I take it you're Seth?"

The man in question quickly glances at Paige, realizing that she has been filling in her best friend – he can't help the smile forming on his face. "Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, Summer. Dean hasn't stopped talking about you." He turns to give his best friend a cheeky smile then once again puts his focus on the British woman, who hasn't stopped looking at her feet.

"You haven't stopped talking about me? Did I really have that much of an impact on you?" She's curious now. She has to admit that since their conversation, she feels a much deeper connection to a guy she still knows nothing about.

"Let's just say it's been a while since I've let a female get as close as you did. It's not everyday when I find someone who listens to me."

While Summer and Dean continue in their verbal attempt to flirt with one another, Seth and Paige don't have to utter a word to get their point across – there's something there, something that neither one is wanting to acknowledge. Paige feels a sense of safety with this man and that scares the hell out of her. It's a feeling she never once felt when she was with Wade.

Seth is feeling like he's hit the jackpot and that scares him considering he knows that this can never happen with them, especially once Paige finds out who he is and why he's there. He knows the best thing to do is to walk away from her and to just be friends but there's something in his gut that won't let him do that.

Before either can say a word, they're interrupted by Brie and Nikki Bella. "So this is why you bailed on the party?" Nikki asks in that taunting voice of hers. "For two broken women?"

"Nikki," Brie says in a much lower voice, almost as if she's protesting her sister's verbal abuse.

"No, Brie, I will not tiptoe around Paige's feelings. She was in an abusive relationship and then that guy wound up dead. It's no wonder everyone thinks she's a murderer. Maybe she finally found that backbone of hers and did him in." Stepping up closer to the raven-haired woman, the louder twin stared at her hard. "So, Paige, how'd you do it?"

"Cut the crap, Nikki. I'm not afraid of you and I certainly will not kiss your ass because you feel that's what everyone here should do. Quite frankly, you're beneath me." Paige responds in rather a quite impressive way – she didn't let her anger get the best of her.

"_I'm_ beneath _you_? Let me tell you something, honey. No one here knew who you were until Wade Barrett started loosening those screws in your head when he beat you continuously. And the only reason they still know who you are is because everyone here knows that you had something to do with his murder. So don't get it twisted. At least I don't have to kill someone to get noticed."

"No, you just sleep with your friend's boyfriend. And now that guys on this campus know that you're easy, that's the only reason why they're paying attention to you." Paige quickly retorts. She's not backing down from this. She refuses to let Nikki Bella get the best of her. "So maybe this campus thinks I murdered my boyfriend, at least I get to keep some of my dignity unlike you."

Seth goes to stand between both women when he sees that things about to take a turn for the worst. "Whatever," Nikki says, backing away with Brie in tow, giving an icy glare to Paige. "This isn't over."

"Are you okay?" Seth asks Paige, concerned.

"Nothing I can't handle. Thanks for stepping in. I got to go." Paige brushes off his attempt to talk and casually walks away from him, sighing to herself. To be honest, she's relieved that he stepped in and stopped whatever it was that was going to go down, but she doesn't want to show him that.

Summer, Dean and Seth take in Paige's silhouette as she rounds the corner, all confused. But one of them knows the real reason as to why she took off and she refuses to say a word. It's better for everyone to never unbury the truth.


	6. Maybe

**A/N: **I wanted to get a quick update in before I go to bed. It's not the best but at least it's something and it's progressing the storyline. I'm going to try to update this every weekend, but don't quote me on that.

* * *

Paige saunters around her dorm room – it's all she can do to keep herself from losing her cool in the end. She's proud of how she stood up for herself when Nikki ambushed her the other day, but the words that were spat at her, she cannot get out of her head. She knows it shouldn't bother her considering she could care less about the Bellas and their silly opinions. But it does and she knows it's because there's a feeling of guilt she carries around with her.

And now that Seth had been there to witness the way she was berated worries her as well. Yes, he stuck up for her and intervened when it looked to get nasty, but who's to say he didn't get freaked out about it once she left? Maybe she is reading too much into it, but guys like him typically ran when things got too complex for their liking.

Now here she is worrying about what's lies ahead for her – she knows the next time she'll get more of those looks because everyone was talking about the Nikki Bella confrontation. She knows she has to keep up appearances and act like nothing is wrong with her. Which is easier said than done.

When Summer enters their room, Paige shakes her head – she can't believe how nonchalant her best friend is being about their whole situation. Summer hasn't even once shown a modicum of remorse. Maybe it's her way of dealing with what happened, but Paige still can't understand how she brushes it off like nothing took place.

"So word going around is that you're a recluse," Summer starts in. "Look, I get this is especially hard on you, but you cannot let those bitches win. What they said was—"

"True," Paige finishes. "Maybe I wasn't the one that hit Wade in the back of the head, but I was there. So were you. We covered up a murder, Summer. I can't just forget about that."

"You think I can? I know I've been walking around here like nothing out of the ordinary happened, but that's because I'm trying to protect Alicia and you. I would turn myself in if I thought that would be the end of it, but we both know that's not the case. They believe it's you who did it. So if I have to act like a callous bitch to save your ass, you're damn straight I'm gonna do it."

The British student had no idea that that was why Summer had been the way that she had. Loyalty was something that the blonde woman took seriously and Paige almost let it come between them. Offering a sigh, the antsy woman finally perches herself at the edge of bed. "I'm sorry. It's just… I can't stand everyone looking at me like that."

"Since when did you care what people think? For all the years I've known you, you haven't given a shit once. Why now?"

"Because I know they're right. Regardless of the outcome, I'm always going to be known as the battered woman who killed her boyfriend in self-defense. It's not exactly something I want to advertise around here. Everyone is going to treat me as their walking punching bag."

"Screw them. Screw their opinion. Screw it. Paige, the reason why you feel so guilty about this is because you actually have a heart. You're a good person. Sometimes good people have to do bad things to survive. This one was one of them." Pulling down her skirt, the blonde woman stands in front of the long mirror hanging on her closet to look over herself. "Besides, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are two hotties who are attracted to us instead of the Bellas. I would say that's a great reason to be in a fantastic mood. Now come on."

Paige can't help but offer a tiny laugh at her friend's attitude. "I thought Dean Ambrose wasn't the kind of guy you're into. I mean, Dolph was—"

"Exactly. Maybe what I need is someone like Dean to keep me busy – you have to admit that he's fucking gorgeous. That and he's dangerous." She says twisting a strand of her hair around her finger. The new guy has captivated her and she has no idea why. Maybe it's the way he doesn't judge her whenever she rambles on about stuff that he wouldn't understand. Or maybe it is in fact that he's the complete opposite of guys that she's usually attracted to.

Whatever it is, it's a good feeling that she doesn't plan to let go of.

Paige, on the other hand, doesn't want to get close to Seth out of the fear in the back of her mind – yes, she hasn't been able to stop thinking of him and she realizes how crazy it is to be quite smitten with someone she barely knows, but it doesn't change anything. If he ever finds out what she did, he'll never look at her the same way again and she knows this.

There's no point in getting involved with someone that she's positive will never work out with anyway; it's not negative thinking that's causing her to be so insecure, it's reality.

Running her fingers through her long black hair, the British woman shakes her head. "You go and do your thing. I think I'm gonna stay in a have a good movie night."

"I don't think so." Summer perches herself at the edge of her friend's bed. "When is the last time you had any fun? You are coming out with me whether I have to drag you by your hair or not. So please volunteer so I don't have to ruin my nails to do that."

"Movie night is fun for me. Summer, you know I don't like to interact with a bunch of people. Especially people who constantly judge me. Why should I give them more ammo to talk about me?"

"Because staying in isn't going to solve your problems. And people talk about anyone these days. It doesn't matter what for. If you show up, you'll be proving that you don't care what they have to say. And that's the Paige I know."

"The Paige you know has been gone for a while. She doesn't exist anymore. I'm sorry, Summer. But I just can't go out."

Worried about her friend, the blonde woman stays seated for a bit before eventually deciding to give Paige some much-needed space. It's not like her to stay hidden from the world – sure she's always been a bit of an outsider but never to the point where she wanted absolutely no human contact. Something has to be done. Now she just has to get a little help. She's about to swallow her pride and go to the only person she knows can fix this.

But the question is: will they?

* * *

Alicia Fox usually isn't one to throw herself at a man, but when she takes in Roman sitting all by himself at a cozy little coffee shop, she can't help it. Making sure she looks decent enough to make a good impression by looking at her reflection in the glass window, she struts in with a look of confidence on her face.

Traipsing right over to where he's seated, she sits across from him with a smile on her face. "I never thought I'd see you in a place like this. Most men wouldn't be caught dead here."

"I'm not like most guys. Besides, I have a little time to myself before I get back to my fabulous job of making sure you college brats don't do anything that would get you into any trouble. I figured this would be the perfect place to do so." He continues tapping out a text on his phone, totally disregarding Alicia's attempt of getting his attention.

"Excuse me but this _'college brat'_ can think of a million ways to get into trouble. I'm just hoping you'll partake in some of the activities," she raises her eyebrows at him. With her comment comes a deep chuckle from Roman and it does wonders to her.

Feeling slightly bolder, she reaches across the table to grab his hand. And when she does, she's surprised when he doesn't try to yank it away or give any indication of it. There's a connection there that neither one of them can deny.

"If I were to hook up with you, Alicia, you wouldn't be able to quit me. That could be a problem. I'm not looking for anything serious. But I get the impression that you're not either."

"I'm not. I'm just looking for a good time. I have a feeling that you and I could have that." Leaning in closer to him, she delicately says, "I'm told that I'm a pro, if you know what I mean." Finally removing her hand from his, she grabs a pen out of her purse and finds an unused napkin at the table. "If you get bored or need some way to release that tension, give me a call." She slides her number towards him.

Getting up from her seat, she looks down at him once more and says, "I really hope to hear from you. Nothing turns me off more than having to wait on a guy to make his move." And with that she walks towards the exit, completely surprised that she just went through with that.

When she makes it outside the door, she hears her phone go off in her bag and grabs it. Not recognizing the number, she cautiously answers it. "Hello?"

"_So tell me, Alicia Fox, what exactly do you have in mind?"_

Unable to contain the smile on her face, the leggy woman looks into the café through the window and stares at him. "You'll see, Roman Reigns. You'll see."

* * *

Cursing under her breath for what she's about to do, Summer Rae thinks it over one last time. The only reason she's about to do this is for Paige's benefit. Knocking, she's surprised to find an upset Nikki Bella open up her dorm door. "Summer? I'm kind of surprised seeing you here."

"I'm surprised myself, but I need you and your sister to do damage control." Seeing the look on her rival's face, the blonde continues. "You said some pretty nasty things to Paige the other day and I'm gonna need you to apologize to her."

"Pardon me? I don't think so. Nikki Bella does not apologize." She places a perfectly manicured hand on her hip and flips back her hair with her other free one. "Is Paige still upset? I feel for her, really, but I stand by what I said. If she can't handle it then maybe it's because she's guilty."

When Nikki tries to shut the door, Summer pushes it wide open to see Dolph Ziggler getting dressed. Not too long ago this would have bothered her, but now that Dean Ambrose has appeared out of nowhere, the blonde is okay. "Dolph, if someone accused someone else of murder, shouldn't they apologize for making accusations about a situation they know nothing about?"

Putting his hands up in defense, the bleach blonde man looks at both of the girls and then shakes his head. "Do I agree with what Nikki said? Of course not." When he hears his girlfriend gasp, he brushes it off. "However, I'm not getting involved in this. You two are grown women. You should really settle this in a non confrontational way."

Grabbing his shirt from the foot of the bed, Dolph kisses Nikki on the cheek before exiting the room. Now the two women stand face-to-face without anyone there to get in their way. "Look, being here isn't exactly easy for me. We were friends, Nikki. Paige was your friend too. And I thought if anyone understood what she was going through it would be you since Brie has been in her shoes. Do you remember how worried you were about your sister?"

"Of course I do. But Daniel wasn't murdered afterwards. Even if Paige did it in self defense she should've gone to the police."

"Paige didn't do anything. Okay? You don't know what she's going through. She wants answers just as much as anyone else does but it's not easy for her when people jump on the bandwagon of accusing her of murdering Wade."

"If she didn't kill Wade, who did?" Nikki asks, now more curious than she was when this conversation began.

"We don't know. A lot of people were afraid of him. And I'm not saying I condone what happened because my best friend is a freaking mess right now, but whoever did it probably didn't mean to. Nikki, I am asking you to go talk to Paige and to fix this. She needs as much support as possible. If you stopped being a bitch long enough, you would see that."

"With insults like that, why should I? She said some pretty mean things too, but I'm not asking her for an apology."

"Well let's be honest. You did sleep with a guy in a relationship so that would put you under the category of easy." Taking a deep breath, Summer looks up at the ceiling. "Please, Nikki? She needs to know that what you said isn't true whether you mean it or not. She hasn't done anything to you and she doesn't deserve the treatment she's getting from everyone else."

"If I do this, what exactly are you going to do for me, Summer? I mean a favor deserves to be repaid somehow."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"You clearly don't know me very well. So you'll help me write this huge paper that's due in a couple of weeks and I'll go and talk to Paige and reassure her that I was just having a bad day and that I didn't mean to take my anger out on her."

Realizing she doesn't have a choice in this, Summer places her hands on her hips and sighs. "Fine. You have a deal."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go hold up our end of the bargain. Coming through," Nikki bumps into Summer on her way out, knowing that she now has the blonde right where she wants her. Sure, she knows that being polite and nice is the correct thing to do, but being the bad girl is so much fun. She knows how to get under people's skin and manipulate them into doing things that she wants them to do.

When she's out of sight, the blonde takes a deep breath and then looks around the place. Seeing a designer dress hanging up, the blonde woman takes it out of the garment bag and gets an idea. Finding a bottle of perfume, Summer grabs it, lays the dress out on Nikki's bed and pours a good portion onto it. Making sure no one is around, she puts the dress back in its bag and hangs it back up.

On her way out, she spies Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins and catches up with them. "We're all going out tonight, including Paige so be ready by eight." With that and her good mood back intact, she swiftly walks down the hallway. Tonight will be perfect.

* * *

Paige was caught off guard earlier by Nikki's unexpected visit and even more unexpected apology – the Bella twin reassured her that she'll make the talk go away and that all will be well when classes started back up after the weekend.

So now the British woman sits on her bed with Seth Rollins while Dean sits opposite them, all waiting on good ol' Summer Rae to finish getting ready. She can feel the man sitting beside her staring a hole through her. She's not sure what it is, but it sends shivers down her spine from being in such close proximity to him.

This hold he has on her scares her and while the logical part in her brain is telling her to run for dear life, the stupid part is telling her to go with it. So when he inadvertently places a hand on her leg, she doesn't push it away. Instead she surprises him by putting her hand on his.

They stare at each for a long amount of time because when they finally tear their gaze away from each other, Summer and Dean are already walking out the door. Seth closes it, preventing them from joining their friends. "How about we just stay in and watch movies? I don't know about you, but going out just isn't my cup of tea."

"That sounds absolutely perfect," Paige's accent echoes off the walls. She can't remember the last time she's felt this safe with anyone.

Grabbing her laptop off of her nightstand, the British woman pulls up _Netflix _and lets Seth pick the movie since it was his idea. She's relieved when he picks _"Need for Speed," _claiming that it's a must-watch and one of the better action movies in recent history.

About halfway through, she's too busy inwardly laughing at all of his comments and the funny faces he makes. Who would have thought that she would ever get close to another guy after everything she had gone through with Wade. And now that Nikki's taking care of all the gossip, she's feeling a lot better about getting close to him.

One thing is for sure though; she definitely likes having him in her company. He brings out her happy side and that's something she doesn't want to get rid of any time soon. Maybe things are starting to turn around for her after all. Maybe she doesn't need to have her guard up anymore. Maybe Paige can finally move on with her life and just be content.

Maybe this is the fresh start she has been pining away for.


	7. New Plans

**A/N: **Trying to get in an update.

* * *

Paige is feeling on cloud nine right now – her life is finally starting to get back to normal. Nikki Bella kept up her end of the bargain and all the chatter has gone away. She's now able to walk down the hallways without other classmates giving her the questioning glare.

Not to mention, the night she spent with Seth was one of the best she had had in a long while. They hadn't even slept that night. They stayed up and just talked and watched movies. It was perfect. So the smile she wears on her face is one of happiness.

She hasn't been able to stop thinking of him. But there's something about him that doesn't feel right to her. It's probably just her fear of getting close to another guy coming to the surface. She's surprised when Nikki Bella greets her, "Hey, can you come in here? Brie and I want to talk for a sec."

Not even remotely hesitant, she walks in with a bit of confidence. It's only when she doesn't see Brie that she realizes that this is a trap. "Where's Brie?" The moment Paige turns to face Nikki, she's greeted by a slap that's a lot louder than she expected. Holding her face, the British woman keeps her composure. "What was that for?"

"Summer ruined my dress and I want you to deliver that message to her." The twin folds her arms over her ample chest. "Her and I had a deal. I made all the gossip go away. It's time for her to hold up her end of the bargain. And by that, I don't mean destroy my three thousand dollar custom made dress by Ralph Lauren."

"What do you mean you made the gossip go away? Are you talking about me?"

"Sweet little Paige, of course I am. Summer came to me the other day and practically begged me to make all the talk go away. So I did. And with a snap of my fingers too. So you might want to let Summer know that the next time she decides to fuck with me, your fate is in my hands."

"This little war with you and Summer seriously needs to end at some point." Paige feigns nonchalance, even though deep down she's quite upset with her blonde friend for doing this to her. If Nikki Bella can sense that she's faking, she doesn't show it, which relieves the British woman.

"And I agree, but she won't let it go."

"How can she when you've literally taken everything of hers? Come on, Nikki. You can't ride her coattail forever. You've got to grow up sometime."

"Just because Summer can't handle a little competition does not mean I'm riding her coattail. It just so happens that we like the same things. I go after what I want, which coincidentally turned out to be what she wanted as well."

Paige isn't surprised by Nikki's arrogance. It's a trait that she's always hated about her former friend. It's hard to believe they were ever close. She guesses it has to do with Summer's influence over her; and who was she to go against her best friend's judgment even though it turned out to be wrong?

Now as she stands before the Bella twin, she can't help but wonder why she's the way she is – why does she enjoy making people suffer so much? Is it the control she gains? Is it because she doesn't like herself so she needs to tear someone else down to build herself back up?

Not one for unneeded conflict, the British woman musters what little courage she has—something she had lost when she was with Wade—to say what she's about to. "Are you the way that you are because you're not proud of who you are as a person? You like to tear others down and you think that's okay when it's not. I know there are a lot of people who can say they don't care what other people think of them, but you genuinely hit below the waist. You take personal matters and turn them into your walking punch lines. It's not funny and it doesn't give you the upper hand. It makes you an even bigger bitch."

Once again not even flinching, Nikki brings her hands up and starts clapping them together. "I am impressed. Paige Knight has the audacity to say these fictitious things about me when she knows that I can end her reputation just like that."

"So do it, Nikki. Your threats are really starting to get old." Paige bumps her shoulder as she walks past her. "Oh and by the way, the scared, little girl that you enjoy using as your punching bag is about to fight back if you even dare to mess with her. And this little thing that you and Summer have going on, end it. Now."

When she leaves the room, Nikki crosses her arms across her chest and narrows her eyes. She doesn't like being told what to do. And she's certainly not going to start now. Oh no, she's going to make sure that Paige realizes just who she's messing with. It's time to find out what really happened to Wade. And it's time to get her two biggest threats out of her life once and for all.

* * *

"You've been undercover this long and you don't have one good thing to offer?" Paul barks at a summoned Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. "I get that you guys are barely dipping your toes in, but we have a timeline to follow. It's crucial that we get this investigation done and over with. The sooner we have the proof that they're behind Barrett's murder, the sooner we have his father off our asses. That's what's best for business right now."

"We are trying our hardest, but these girls aren't exactly easy to crack. – they let us in but push us away when we start getting too close. We're doing our best, Paul. Cut us some slack." Dean speaks up, for once acting like he cares about his job.

"I'm surprised that you're defending yourself. I expected you to make a mockery out of this meeting," Levesque counters. "You are known to be the screw up on the force."

From the far corner of the room, Roman Reigns decides to hone in on this conversation. "I have to admit that Seth and Dean are trying their hardest to get Summer and Paige to open up. They're shut down, especially the British one. But that's probably because of the tumultuous relationship she had with Wade. They still have plenty of time to pull this off but they can't do that if you keep barking at them. Trust me on this."

Maybe it's because he's starting to feel at peace with everything that had happened. Maybe it's because the somber mood that he always seems to carry around with him is finally dissipating. Or maybe it's because he's in no rush to finish this mission simply due to the new friendship he recently acquired in Alicia Fox. Roman Reigns surprises himself when he decides to side with two guys who are the furthest thing from friends.

Curiosity sparks up in Seth Rollins—who has been oddly silent in this meeting—so he turns to the Samoan man and eyes him up and down. "Are you actually on our side in this because last time I checked, we weren't exactly on good terms? You pretty much summed up that you have no faith in us to get the job done. What brought on this sudden change?"

Roman puts down his cell phone, presumably tapping a text message to Alicia, and takes a deep breath. "Are you that surprised, Seth? You guys are trying and that's what matters. It's not your fault that Paige and Summer are refusing to connect with you guys. Though it would probably help if those two twins stopped throwing themselves at you every chance they got. What's up with that, by the way?"

"Are you mad because we have four beautiful women fighting for our affection and not yours?" Dean, spunky as usual, asks, a beaming smile on his face. "There's something about rebellious boys that attract women. You're too tightly wound, Roman."

His good mood comes to a halt and now a frown takes the place where his smile once was. "So because I take things seriously, I'm tightly wound? God, Ambrose, you are so reckless sometimes I want to bash you upside your head."

"You guys need to stop bickering so much – we need to come up with a new game plan. Does anyone have any ideas?" Seth intervenes before things can get way too out of hand. He's tired of seeing these two always at each other's throats whenever they're in a room together.

"Well," Roman starts, that smile returning to his face. "Alicia Fox is a good friend to them and I've kind of been spending time with her." When he sees the look on their faces, he shakes his head. "Don't ask. Anyway, maybe I can try to get some information from her."

Dean chuckles, staring up at the ceiling. "Alicia Fox, huh? She's hot, bro." Taking in the territorial demeanor of the Samoan man, he puts his hands up. "But not my cup of tea."

"Okay, so Roman will now try to hone in on Alicia and see if he can get anything out of her." Paul speaks up, reminding the three men in the room that he's still there. "You better hope this works, Reigns. We need something. It's very important that you get something vital from this girl. Bang her, hang out with her, befriend her, I don't care. Just trick her into trusting you. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," he says, but there's a part of him that's not sure he's capable of doing this to the girl he has taken a quick interest in. He wants a friendship with her and doesn't want to screw that up and hurt her, especially since it appears that she is already attached to him.

Seth zones out when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket, letting him know of a new text message. He already knows who it is from and instead of doing what he's supposed to do and respond to her, he deletes the message and inwardly sighs to himself. How had he let this thing get so remotely complicated in just a few short weeks?

Paige gets him. He gets her. But he knows that he can't ever let anything get further than their friendship, simply because of her fragile state. Like Roman, he too doesn't want to let her down once this is all over and done with. He knows he can't avoid her forever – in fact, it's only a matter of time before the British woman goes looking for him. But his head is too rattled currently to talk to her.

When his phone buzzes again, he grabs it out of his pocket and simply shuts it off – he can't deal with her right now. Not when the original job that he got roped into just became all the more complicated with the inclusion of Roman and Alicia and his newfound feelings of remorse.

Ignoring the knowing look Dean throws his way, Seth doesn't bother returning it with one of his own – he's too confused to remotely focus on anything else. How is he supposed to explain why he ignored her texts? He knows she's going to get the impression that their bonding freaked him out. So now he must find a way to explain to her what's going on without telling her the truth.

He can't think about that now though. There are other things he has to put his attention on; keeping his job is one of those things. Seth can't afford to lose the most important thing he has going on in his life because of some girl who is becoming more of a distraction than a mission.

And it seems Dean is on the same page when he gives his friend that knowing look of his. Now they just need Roman onboard with them as well - they can't screw this up. No matter what complications arise along the way, they can't lose sight of the big picture.

Regardless of how hard it may be, they must keep their feelings in check and simply do what is necessary to get the answers they need to end this case once and for all.

* * *

Summer Rae has one thing and one thing only on her mind: _Revenge._ Paige had told her everything that had gone down with her and Nikki Bella and now retribution is a must. The one weakness she knows for sure of the evil twin's is Dolph Ziggler. Technically she realizes that messing around with Dolph would be her being a hypocrite considering that is the reason as to why her and Nikki's friendship ended as badly as it did.

But it's vital for her to do so to get her point across - no one messes with her best friend. It's a simple but effective motto she lives by. As the blonde flips her hair behind her shoulders, wanting to look presentable to a man she once swore she was in love with, she feels sick to stomach at the thought of doing this.

Wearing a short hot pink dress with slits on both sides and no back whatsoever, Summer accomplishes looking good. And she knows she does when she takes in all the roaming glares she gets from other men. She can't deny that she loves being adored.

In that moment she wonders what it would feel like to have Dean adore her in that capacity, how it would feel to have his hands on her. The way his lips would feel against hers. It's all she can do to not hunt him down. He'll have to wait. Revenge comes first. Nikki Bella needs a good reality check and Summer is about to give her it.

Hoping the bleached blonde man is home, she waits a bit, a little hesitant. Can she actually go through with this? After a few seconds of debating whether she should or shouldn't, the blonde woman knocks on the door, slightly hoping that he won't be there. It's with great dismay to her when he opens up a few seconds later, wearing nothing but gym shorts. He was obviously in the middle of a workout when she interrupted him.

"Summer, do what do I owe this pleasure?" He asks with a curious smile on his face. Truth be told, he's thought of his ex lately - when his current girlfriend began her quest of being the most adored on campus, he was over it. Now he regrets cheating on Summer with her. That's why he hasn't sent her away, especially with her looking as fantastic as she does.

It's hard for her to act like she's happy to see him when in reality all she really wants to do is slap him across that smug face of his. Why does he just assume that his actions are forgivable? The blonde still doesn't understand what Nikki offered him that she already wasn't giving to him. Sex definitely wasn't the issue at hand.

"I just thought I would drop in for a little conversation. After all, you owe me some explanation as to why you slept with Nikki while we were together. I mean, what possessed you to cheat? We were happy, Dolph."

"I ask myself that question all the time, Summer. I was stupid and if I could take it back, I definitely would. I feel like Nikki is only with me to give herself more status around here. She doesn't care about me, not like you ever did."

"I still care about you. My heart can't change that quickly. We were together for two years. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if we would still be together had you not hurt me like that," she's enjoying playing with his emotions. It's about time the shoe is on the other foot.

The smile that crosses Dolph's face sends a wave of satisfaction throughout Summer - he sure if falling for this act. When she sees Brie Bella sauntering down the hallway, she reacts quickly and presses her lips up against his, knowing the Bella twin will report back to her sister with what she saw. Wrapping her arms around his neck, the blonde woman pulls him in closer to her to make it look realistic. And to her surprise he's pulling her into his room - apparently old habits die hard for him.

But that's not the only thing she has to worry about. While she's hooking up with Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose has witnessed the entire show she put on from a distance, shaking his head. He's not sure how to feel about the situation. Like Seth, he knows that nothing serious can ever come to fruition. Adding Ziggler to the mix is only going to make for bigger complications in the long run.

In order for this to go off without a hitch, he's gonna have to play dirty; and he has just the perfect idea for it. The only question is if he can be as convincing and as manipulative as Summer Rae. He can only guess how this whole ordeal will pan out and that's what scares him.

Pulling out his cell phone, he shoots a text to the woman she just saw go into Dolph's room: _It's not my business since we're just friends, but I saw you go into Ziggler's room. Please tell me you're not hooking up with him. He's hurt you once. He'll do it again._

He knows she obviously won't reply right away since she's in the middle of screwing Dolph, but at least she'll see it afterwards and realize that she's caught. True, while there are no feelings there, Dean needs it to look like his are getting deeper so that she'll let him in more. That's the goal. To get her to spill her guts to him.

And now it's a waiting game. Hopefully this idea of his works otherwise he has no clue as to what to do next.

* * *

She feels disgusted with herself once her ex has fallen asleep and she has time to think about what she's just done. She thought getting back at Nikki would ultimately make her feel better but instead she feels a thousand times worse than before.

Gathering up her belongings, it isn't until she notices a flashing light on her phone, letting her know she has a new message. She imagines it's from Nikki and that puts a smile back on her face – she wonders what she has to say. Only when she reads the text does that smile soon fall from her face.

Dean saw her go into Dolph's room. There's no way she can lie herself out of this – her only option is to be straight up and tell him the truth. They are friends, after all, and Dean doesn't seem to be the judging type of person. With shaky hands, the blonde woman sends a quick response: _You're right. We are just friends. I hooked up with Dolph to get back at Nikki for attacking Paige. I don't need your approval and I really could care less what you think about me._

She doesn't mean to sound as rude as she does, but his text has her emotions in overdrive. There's a part of her that realizes she shouldn't care what Dean thinks about her considering they barely know one another. But then there's the part of her that does because there may be a smidgen of her that has a modicum of feelings for him.

Putting back on her dress, she rolls her eyes when she feel her ex reach for her, apparently wanting her to stick around. "There's no need to rush." He says groggily. "Stay with me, Summer. I know I messed up but let's fix this. Let's give us another try. I'll tell Nikki that I'm in love with someone else."

"Dolph, had you been in love with me, you wouldn't have cheated in the first place," the blonde woman replies, getting out of Dolph's grasp. "And this doesn't mean anything, okay? So let's just forget this happened."

"I can't forget this. And I'm surprised you want to since you initiated it with that kiss. Wasn't this what you wanted?"

_No._

Why is it so hard for her to say that one word? Turning into him, the blonde woman kisses Dolph on the cheek and sadly smiles. "Goodbye, Dolph." Then she gets up from the bed, grabs her heels from the floor and heads out to do the dreaded walk of shame.

Her head is spinning right now; she's feeling guilty. She's feeling dirty. She's feeling disappointed. Ever since she partook in Wade's murder, her attitude has changed. She never was this person until that event. It changed her. Now she's not sure if she can ever go back to who she once was.

It looks like she's not the only one having a hard time – she just doesn't want Paige to notice it. Her biggest regret up until Wade's death was dating Dolph Ziggler. Now it seems so trivial. A man is dead and it's partially because of her. She's unsure about how much longer she can live keeping that big of a secret. She knows it's bound to come out sooner or later. That's what scares her.

If she tells anyone, then it's all over for everyone. And she can't let that happen. A tear rolls down her face and it's at that moment that she discovers that she's over everything; she just wants to go back home. She wants to forget about everything. She wants to be free.

But when she bumps into Alicia Fox on her way back to her dorm, she puts on a brave face and nods in her direction – this is the person she has to be from now on. There's no going back. And with that, she quietly opens up the door to her room and shuts it behind her. Along with the rest of the world.


	8. Wins & Losses

**A/N: **I'm finally starting to get inspired again.

* * *

A loud banging on the door awakes both Summer and Paige from their slumber – not that the blonde woman got much. Emitting a frustrated groan, the British woman slowly gets out of her bed and makes a beeline straight towards the door; it's after she opens it that she wishes she hadn't.

Standing before her is a very upset Nikki Bella, wiping her tear-stained face. "Where is she?" She's referring to Summer Rae then she pushes the door open wider and storms in. "How could you, Summer? Is nothing sacred to you? What? Dean didn't want you, so you go and jump Dolph's bones?"

"It wasn't all that memorable, to be honest. And I only did it to get back at you for attacking Paige. But you know what's funny? I thought getting back at you would make me feel better and it didn't. I feel a million times worse. Also, your boyfriend is a real slime ball. So maybe I did you a favor."

Paige stands in the middle of the two of them to make sure a fight doesn't break out but she's disappointed in her best friend. She's listened to Summer go on and on for months about how Nikki betrayed her by sleeping with Dolph and then she turns around and does the same thing.

She still wonders why she was ever friends with Nikki and why she's currently friends with Summer – none of their personalities exactly blend well. When push comes to shove, though, she knows that the blonde woman will stand by her side. Granted, she doesn't condone what she did to Nikki and Dolph but she knows it was out of the goodness of her heart.

It's hard to be disappointed in someone who was simply defending your honor; Paige knows this. So why does she feel compelled to side with Nikki on this one? "Both of you guys need to work out your differences and stop acting like immature teenagers. We're not in high school anymore. Nikki, you're always try to best Summer at everything. And Summer, you let her, then get pissed about it.

"I'm tired of listening to you bitch about Nikki. And I'm tired of you, Nikki, acting like your shit doesn't stink. Everything you've gotten are sloppy seconds; nothing to boast about."

The dark-haired twin puts her perfectly manicured hands on her hips and cocks her head to the side, giving Paige the once-over. "Sloppy seconds, huh? That's a funny thing to say since the only boyfriend you've had wound up murdered. So I'll take sloppy seconds over a dead boyfriend any day of the week."

Paige is about to say something but decides against it, knowing that if she lets Nikki Bella get under her skin that she'll be giving her all the power; that she doesn't want. The only thing she can do at this point is to just bite her tongue. "I give up with you two. You guys want to act like five-year-olds, that's fine. Just leave me out of it."

In a rush to leave the room, she bumps Nikki's shoulder on the way out, sending her a clear message: Leave her alone. She wants to play peacemaker to make sure that her best friend and her rival don't claw each other's eyes out, but she's at her wit's end on this one.

Continuing down the hallway, she stops when she sees Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose coming from the other direction – she's not sure how to approach them considering Seth has been avoiding her. And she doesn't even understand why. They hung out. Nothing happened. Why is he all of a sudden backing off?

Opting to let it play out, she pulls out her cell phone so that she doesn't have to look at him once they pass each other. She's too busy trying to focus on the screen when the guy she's been thinking about stops in front of her, obviously wanting to get her attention. "You're really engrossed in your phone, aren't you?"

Slowly, she raises her eyes up to him, offering a hint of a smirk in the process. "Nope. Just reminding myself that I don't have any friends by the lack of text messages." Then she shoves her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and puts her attention back on Seth. "So what's up?"

"I feel like I owe you an apology, actually," he says, the tone is his voice slightly different than what he's used to. "I don't want you getting the impression that I'm dodging you. It's just… I've never spent the night with a woman and never… fooled around. It was weird."

"Weird?" Paige is confused. So all he was after was someone to hook up with?

"That's not what I meant. Why am I so terrible at this?" He slaps a hand to his forehead, making everything he has to say all the more convincing. As long as she's falling for every word he's saying, then he knows he's doing something right. "It scared me, actually. I mean, we've only known each other for a couple of weeks and there's already this thing between us. And especially with everything you've been through, it's a lot of pressure."

Holding a hand up to stop him from continuing in his little rant, the British woman simply shakes her head. "First off, we're just friends, Seth. Okay? No need to over-analyze that. And secondly, everything I've been through? Let me worry about my own well being. I don't need you tip-toeing around me to make me feel better."

Frustrated, the two-toned man lets out a sigh. "Why do you always get offended by my remarks? Jesus, Paige. Is it such a crime that I give a shit about you?"

"No, it's a crime that you give a shit about me but yet distance yourself from me. I'm not looking for a relationship, Seth. All I want is a friend. And with everything that you've told me about your past, I thought that maybe we could relate from our tragedies."

There's a part of him that feels awful for how he has to treat her in order to keep her at bay; he knows it's smart on his part though – if either one gets feelings for the other, it'll end badly. Especially once the truth comes out. This is the smartest strategy he can do in order to keep things smooth sailing.

When he doesn't offer a reply, Paige rolls her eyes and folds her arms. "That's what I thought. Lesson learned. Stop wasting time on idiots." Giving him the once over, she gives up and goes to walk away from him.

The sight of her sauntering away from him kick starts something in him and he reaches out to get her to stop. "Come on, don't be like that. I'm just trying to make this easier on everyone." Instead of letting go of her, he instead pulls her closer to him. "Because I know I can't stop thinking about you."

Her heart is racing. She's breathing heavy. This definitely isn't the scenario that either one of them wanted originally. Seth planned on playing it safe with her. Paige planned on playing hard to get and just remain friends with him. Now neither one knows what to do now.

Catching himself at the last second, Seth backs away, releasing the grip he has on her – this is not part of the plan. It's a moment of weakness that he can't let happen again otherwise it'll screw everything up. Turning on his heel, he mentally slaps himself for being so careless. What just happened back there? This is a potential murderer and he's losing sight of the big picture just because there's this connection there between them.

It's unethical.

Paige, however, is just as confused as he is, outstretching her arms. "What was that about?" She asks to no one in particular. She can't quite figure out Seth Rollins and his little game he's obviously playing with her, but she can't help but be intrigued.

Rubbing her temples in frustration, the British woman finally soaks up everything. When push comes to shove, the only person that remotely gives a damn about her is the same person who's having it out with Nikki Bella. Paige is starting to question if maybe she's just better off alone, like how it always should have been. Before Wade. Before his murder. Before everything changed. At least then she wouldn't feel so empty. Empty and alone.

* * *

Feeling screwed over as it is since he got gypped out of the original job he was supposed to have, it's safe to say that Roman's not having a good day when he has to escort two male students up to the dean's office. He had caught them vandalizing the property and took it upon himself to get involved. After they thought they could take Roman in a two on one attempt, he punched them both out.

Now here he is, driving around on a little golf cart that he can barely fit into – damn his boss for not pulling enough strings to get him that teacher's assistant job like promised.

He's well aware of the implications from putting his hands on two students, but they can't get rid of him since he's undercover here. It still doesn't bode well with him that this is what he's relegated to. It's a babysitting job and it's patronizing to him. He already has his share of doing just that when it comes to Dean and Seth, so having to waste even more time on a bunch of nobodies doesn't suit him.

About fifteen minutes later, after receiving an even more boring lecture from the dean than the ones he usually gets from Paul, Roman's on his way. He's not sure how much more of this he can take unless something happens soon. Between having to work with two boneheads on such a big case—which he's positive they're going to screw up—and having to do this phony job, his head is completely reeling.

On his walk, he catches a glimpse of Alicia Fox exiting the campus and can't help but wonder where she's off to. This is the perfect chance for him to act on his part of the plan. Sprinting towards her, he calls out her name, "Alicia, wait up!"

Stopping dead in her tracks, the African American woman turns and smiles when she sees Roman catching up to her. "Hey you." They haven't spoke to one another since their conversation in the coffee shop so Alicia can't quite piece together what he wants.

"And where are you off to?" the Samoan asks, folding his arms across his muscular chest. He's fighting every fiber within to stop himself from eyeing her from head to toe. To be completely honest, he never thought he would be quite invested in this newly acquired friendship with the young woman; after all they are friends. And even if he does take her up on her offer to have a friends with benefits relationship, he still enjoys her company.

"Well since I have a free period, I thought I'd go get an early lunch. There's a pizza shop around the corner so I thought I'd help myself." She's relaxed in this conversation much more than their last one. Maybe it's because she's being her actual self. She's not having to come on to him in order to get his attention.

"Pizza, huh? Want some company?"

"Sure. As long as you buy for yourself. I'm on a tight budget here. I'm a struggling college student." She teases.

"How about I buy both of ours?" The question is a serious one – but this is exactly what he has to do in order to get the leggy woman to fall for his charm. When he sees how hesitant she is, he reaches out to put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's just pizza, Alicia. It's not a date. I just figured since you've been so nice to me it's the least I can do."

The African American woman is still cautious about whether or not this is something she wants to actually do. Yes, she's attracted to him but he didn't seem that interested when she last posed that idea of hers to him and now suddenly he wants to buy her food. Something isn't adding up and she's definitely not stupid.

"A couple of days ago, you didn't seem too interested. So I'm just a little dumbfounded as to why you all of a sudden want to hang out. I'm just a little skeptical of this."

"A couple of days ago, you proposed that we should have a friends with benefits relationship – it took me off guard." He says to her. "Look, I don't have too many friends around here but I consider you one. It's just lunch. On me to thank you for being so nice." When she's still reluctant, he goes in for the kill. "Are you really gonna make me beg for your company?"

Suddenly, she relaxes and nods her head. "Okay. You win, Roman. I'll let you buy me lunch."

Everything is going according to plan – the Samoan man knows he has the woman in the palm of his hand. If he keeps charming her like this, she'll be opening up to him in no time. This should have been the initial plan from the get go, instead of having two rookies—who are in way over their heads—try to solve this case. _Amateurs, _he thinks. Once again, he'll be the hero of this story and then maybe he'll get the respect he deserves.

* * *

Dean's plan of trying to get inside of Summer's head failed – he was sure sending that text to her would spark something inside of her to back off of Dolph. But instead it had the opposite affect on her, her responding in such a rude manner.

Now he's stuck between a rock and hard place when it comes to what to do next. He can easily avoid her and hope that maybe that's enough to get her to come around – it's immature but effective – or he can man up and just ask her what compelled her to do such a thing.

Before he has the opportunity to figure out which option he wants to do, he's greeted with an upset Summer Rae walking up to him. "What was the purpose of that text, Dean? Were you trying to get me to feel bad about hooking up with my ex? I'm a grown woman. I don't need a babysitter."

"Grown woman, yes. But you're a grown woman who makes terrible choices. I was just trying to save you from having the feeling of regret, which you obviously don't."

"I don't need you to save me. What I need is for you to be a friend and support me. Is that too much to ask?" Her voice is a little higher than she would like it to be. It's enough to get a couple of people's attention as they walk past them.

"A friend is supposed to do more than support someone. They're supposed to also let that person know when they're making a mistake and being stupid." He puts his hands up in defense before he goes to walk away from her. He stops briefly to deliver one final message to her. "When you decide what you want, let me know. I'm done playing these games with you."

She's taken aback. His words shouldn't have this kind of influence on her but strangely they do. What exactly is he getting at? Is he upset that she was with another guy? Or does he just care about her enough to not want to see her get hurt for her choices?

She doesn't have time to ask him what he means once she notices he's out of sight – she's only left with way more confusion than before. The blonde is aware that sleeping with Dolph was a colossal mistake; apparently she can't explain the intentions behind it to a guy who has walked away from her.

All she can do is blow out a breath of frustration – this was not what she had in mind when she approached Dean Ambrose. So much for them being friends.

Putting her hands to her face, the blonde woman comes to terms with the fact that she's managed to piss two people off. She can't get a hold of Paige to try to talk to her and now Dean is upset with her. At this point, she's at a loss – there's nothing else she can do right now. All she can do is wait and hope that they'll eventually come around.

But who knows how long that will take?


End file.
